Anyway, if nothing else, the picture (to the right) in the article is pretty neat... if you click on the picture, it'll take you to its page on Flickr.com. As a warning, though, don't overanalyze things... that's what we perfectionists tend to do, and end up doing nothing and being unproductive. As an alternative to thinking ahead, you could just live in the present. Of course, that means your entire life would be reactionary instead of actionary (hey, that's not a word!), which might or might not be a good thing. But it might be carefree, if you don't care about or for anything. Hey... is that what it means to have a carefree life, that you care about and for nothing? If so, I'm not sure I want to live a carefree life, since I like caring about things (like my wife, my kids, my friends), but there are of course other things for which I care that I probably shouldn't quite so much (like my "toys" - guitar(s), car(s), computer(s), video game(s), geocaching - wait, that's a good family hobby, a great way to spend some time outside with the wife and/or kids, so it's probably ok).
My dad used to have this problem, this "caring" issue. Once upon a time, he bought a 1991 Buick Park Avenue Ultra (just before the Ultras came with superchargers), brand new. On the second day (I think) of ownership, he was out showing it off by taking my mom, brothers (I was in college then), and my grandmom out to lunch, when someone in an old, beat-up station wagon changed lanes into the front of the Park Avenue. Turns out the guy was unemployed and uninsured, and said, "They make the hoods on these new cars too low, you can't see them." My dad never got that fender or parking lamp fixed - on purpose (it was still broken when he gave me the car several years later). It was a daily reminder to him that "things" are just that - "things." They're not what's important in life. (That's a lesson I still need to learn sometimes.) Years later he bought a 2003 (I think) BMW 525is (again, brand new). He was sitting in his office when a coworker came in, rather distraught, and said, "Ray, I just backed into your car." (She had a large SUV.) He said, "Ok." She was taken aback and said, "Did you hear what I said? I just backed into your car!" And he said, "Ok." Evidently he had learned... it was just a "thing" - and (although he did get it fixed this time) that's all it was to him now... just a "thing." Not something important, just an item, one that is only temporary anyway.
I guess I could have titled this post "inspiration in adversity part 3" (see parts one and two), although this was older adversity.
I guess I don't really need a Sony Xperia X1. Of course, I'll still happily accept one, if some benevolent feeling reader wants to offer me one whenever they come out. It would make my blogging away from home much easier... and then you wouldn't have to think ahead so much as to what to do with all your free time because I haven't posted anything in a while. Just a thought.
I guess that's all for now... but a question: if earthworms were on mars, what would you call them? (my answer: dead)
Good reminder about stuff being stuff. Dawson was asking me last night what my most prized possession is. I told him it was Dwight, Haley and him. He said, "No, I mean, like TV, car,..." he kept naming stuff. I told him that I really didn't have anything because I know those things won't last. I really meant it, too. I guess if something ever happened to our stuff it would be inconvenient, but certainly not the end of the world.
ReplyDeleteDwight and I weren't terribly upset when Jon ran into our car, either. We still haven't had it fixed, but we will eventually, just cause.