“Anything that happens, happens.”

“Anything that, in happening, causes something else to happen, causes something else to happen.”

“Anything that, in happening, causes itself to happen again, happens again.”

“It doesn’t necessarily do it in chronological order though.”

–Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams

Today is Towel Day.

To many, this is just another day.  To others, it’s just another day to celebrate made up by geeks like May 4th: Star Wars Day.  To me- it is what makes my life, my universe, my everything.

The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a Trilogy written in five parts.  The first two books were made into a fantastically bad special effects BBC Miniseries in 1981 that only the BBC could do.  Later, Hollywood released their version with all high gloss and green screen effects (shout out to the late Alan Rickman who voiced Marvin).  Both tell the same story, both are entertaining, both could have been done better.

I first read the series of books back in 2000 around the time I met my wife.  For Christmas 2001, I gave her a copy of all five books conveniently made into one, and asked her if we could name our daughter after a character from the novels.  Which we did.  Our first born was named Random and she arrived on this planet in July of 2002.

 

Our daughter has grown into her name.  It also paved the way of how we would name our other two children that would be born after her.  Random, Darwin, Theory.  Often we are asked if we are scientists because of this.  I like to answer that it’s because we are Atheists.  Believing in a god, gods, spaghetti monsters, or evolution shouldn’t matter as long as people follow the “Golden Rule”.  If it weren’t for H2G2, I don’t know what we would have named our children, or what journey my life would have been on if I never read the books.  I am grateful that such a book was written and that it influenced my life.  In a way, I could guess that this is what people think when they read the bible and it’s impact on their lives.

 

Douglas Adams’ writing was witty.  Unknowingly to him at the time,he helped to create everyone’s life on this planet.  Look at your smartphone or iPad in your possession.  It is exactly what The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was described as.  A wealth of knowledge at your fingertips that was gathered from across the universe.  Do a search of “what is the answer to life the universe and everything?” and the result is 42.  But that answer is really to the question, “what do you get when you multiple six by nine?”  Thus proving that life is one big joke in this cosmic universe.

So grab your towel people, the universe is taking us for a ride, and DON’T PANIC.