t’s Thursday, so it
must be time for my regular (or semi-regular) “Ed”-based entry.
Last night was a very good episode that, through its twists and turns,
contrasted two philosophies being espoused by characters on the show.
One had a near-death experience, and decided to spend the rest of his life
taking in as many experiences as he could (for example, bowling naked).
The other was inspired by the book “Walden” to stop worrying so much about
possessions and simplify his life. And the quandary that the main
character faced was which of these viewpoints to espouse for his own life.
Of course, the best way to live life is probably to follow both of the
viewpoints, depending on the specific situation you’re in.
The problem with me is that I have a tendency to follow neither of them.
I certainly don’t “Do Everything”. I am probably the most cautious
person I know. Even when I was a little boy, at the time most boys
were busy jumping off ramps on skateboards and setting things on fire for
fun, I did everything I could to make sure I never got hurt of got in trouble.
In other words, you probably won’t see me on MTV’s “Jackass” show anytime
soon.
Sure, I’ve had my moments. I’ve been to more cool places that
I can count – Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore, Devil’s Tower; everywhere from
Bar Harbor, Maine to Tokyo, Japan. I’ve probably ridden more roller
coasters than 95% of the U.S. population. But I’ve never really done
anything crazy or stupid (except, debatably, moving to California in the
first place).
The problem is, I don’t simplify my life, either. Sure, I have
to have a job – I can’t just move up to the mountains and do absolutely
nothing – but even when I get home, it’s almost like I run a business out
of my house. I’m constantly on the internet, buying or selling stuff.
And my tendency to make mountains out of molehills (case in point is the
hours and hours it takes me to do bills every month) certainly doesn’t
cause any simplification, either.
Once our Little One gets old enough, we’re going to go on as many vacations
as possible – and there should be a lot of possibility there, based on
the number of vacation days I get at my new job. I know that, for
life in general, I’m a hopeless wreck when it comes to trying to get the
most out of life. But by going away, I can at the same time simplify
my life by removing from it, at least temporarily, all the daily-grind
stresses that so eat at me, as well as see new things and, with my new
family, do – well, do everything.
