THURSDAY, 25 SEPTEMBER 2003
Is there something like an Anti-Futility League? If not, I call it to life at this very moment. Our motto will be straightforward: “What’s the point?” The league will be an exercise in meaningful endeavour – a deliberate attack on futility. (The thought did occur to me recently that this material I am working on might be just a useless enterprise. Who really cares if I know my own true name? Who cares if I see meaning in my life, and whether or not I fill my days with meaningful activities?)
We all have groups to which we belong – or most of us do, anyway. Most people like to be part of something, so now there’s a group of which you as a reader can be a proud member! We can even have name cards printed and give everyone a special number.
Membership would be free for the first million members; then we may start charging a small annual fee. One rule will be that everyone except poor artists must bring cake and tea to meetings, and preferably enough of both so that the artists can fill their plastic bags and empty bottles after the meeting.
Perhaps we should be a secret organisation, with cells that can infiltrate communities around the world! Then we can write a manifesto, and in fifty years take over Russia, or Cuba, or Mpumalanga. We can also launch protests against useless organisations and institutions, like publishers who are just interested in profit. We can even train missionaries to go from door to door …
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