Eccl 1:1-12 (hebel)

I just began to read Qohelet (Ecclesiastes) verse by verse. The first section of Eccl 1:2-11 sets the tone for the entire book, which concerns the nature of human life and its meaning or purpose. The question is, How can one live in a world of contrariness and ephemerality? One of the pivotal metaphors throughout the book is "hebel" (breath or vapor). The issue is not that we are a mere breath or vapor but how we interpret it as we live in a world of nonsense-like realities. "Vanity of vanities" does not convey the nuances of this word because the point is not so much on the complete futility of human life as on the short yet valuable life.