3 AM Philosophical Thinking

Why do things happen? Do they truly happen for a reason? Is it true that even the shittiest of situations have some sort of cosmic purpose? Is the fact that my camera broke a funny commentary on how I should stop and smell the roses rather than just snap a quick picture of them? Or was it simply a drunken mistake that will forever be hidden away in the abyss of alcohol-aided forgotten memories? This very question has been plaguing me for days. If everything happens for a reason, then why do good people die while evil people live to ripe old ages? Why did my dog Casey have to die when I was 8 years old? Was there a purpose in that my little head couldn't fathom? Or was it just simply because I happened to let him out right as a teenager in a red car sped by on his way to work? Earlier this week, I was laying on my bed thinking of all this and decided that everything doesn't have a reason. That everything happens out of pure coincidence and that humans only say it has a purpose out of fear of the unknown. We don't want to think that everything in the world just happens- we like to think that eventually things will work out in our favor, even if the destination is different than what we initially thought it would be. We also want to believe in something bigger than ourselves. Whether you believe in a god, or some other spiritual being, it really makes no difference. Humans just what to believe that the bad things that happen to them happen because a force greater than themselves is merging them onto the right path- their "destiny". So, basically, we say everything happens for a reason just to make ourselves feel better. But then, things keep happening this week that make me wonder if everything does happen for a reason. I would make a slight change in my plans, and something I didn't expect would happen. For example, my friend and I spontaneously decided to walk through the Oval the other day and I ended up seeing one of my friends that I hadn't seen in months. A small occurrence, but enjoyable nonetheless. Also, a few months ago, I was planning on switching jobs but then got sad news that my help was no longer needed. Although that hurt at the time, I don't harbor ill feelings, for I have met two good friends this quarter at my job, and chances are that I would not have met them other wise. Also, I was this close to not coming to OSU this year.  And it is because I did that I met some of the greatest people in my life, and had some of the best moments if my life so far. Is this all a fluke? Are our lives nothing but coincidence after coincidence? No one knows. But maybe it is possible that things always work out the way they are supposed to.