Why are you here?

This is one of the questions on the back of the menu at The Why Café.   Some of you may have read the intriguing book The Why Café by John Strelecky.  Over the next few weeks I will be sharing with you some of the insights from the book that may open you up to a new level of introspection. The character in the book is named John and as the story begins he sets off on a much-needed holiday only to get stuck behind a major accident on the highway (of life). After his patience runs out he decides to try to find an alternate route.   Without realizing it John’s trip starts to become a metaphor of his life.  He set out with a game plan, ran into some roadblocks then headed off out without a map or a clear sense of where he was going. As time passed, he got lost, hungry and almost ran out of gas.  Yet he kept going, feeling it was too late to turn back, getting himself deeper into a situation in which he felt very powerless.   He eventually happens upon a diner in the middle of nowhere.  At the diner (The Why Café), he tells the waitress that he is frustrated, lost and out of gas and she smiles, a knowing, slightly sly smile that John does not yet understand.  Then she asks him the big question – why are you here?  He explains his view of the situation, not realizing that the question is a bigger one, and refers to his purpose for being on earth, not at the café!  She smiles again.   Until next time you may want to see if the question ‘why AM I here?’ resonates with you. But be forewarned, once you start reflecting on it you might not be able to stop… Jackie