I have operated on a few simple principles for more than two decades now, with good success.
First, do no harm. Or as little as possible.
Second, do not suffer fools or Bad People. They will rob you of your life.
Third, make choices with an eye to minimize future regret. In other words, imagine you were on your deathbed looking back – live your life to make that old bastard as peaceful as possible about dying.
Fourth, learn and wander. We may or may not be hairless monkeys, but there is wisdom out there. It may be an evil world, but there is beauty. Find it.
There is no meaning — in anything — but what our minds create. To search for meaning is to make the same mistake as those who search for happiness : both meaning and happiness are mental constructs superimposed by your mind on top of the actual conditions of your life. Seeking them in externals will drive you mad if you’re smart, or guarantee you failure if you’re persistent.
I wrote that in response to an AskMe question, almost 5 years ago, and had completely forgotten it until tonight, when I noticed that it had been favorited out of the blue, all these years later. The question was “Do you know what you want out of life? How do you know? How did you figure it out?”
I’ve been angry and silent lately, at least in terms of my own writing. I’ve been doing all sorts of other stuff online, sure. Built and run my own busy community over here, a bunch of other stuff. But I’ve decided tonight that I need to start stringing those words together again, laugh and glare ironically and textually dance on the graves and all, and tamp that anger down, or at least direct it productively, before I become the kind of old bastard I’ve always hated. I have no choice about getting old, but I do have a choice about what kind of old man I become.
Ain’t makin’ no promises, mind you. But maybe it’s time to write some stuff again, and widen that circle out, again, a little.
‘Cause what the world needs now is another active blogger. Like I need a hole in my head.
About time 😉 Welcome back
It’s good to see you writing in this space again, Chris. Sometimes people need more holes in their head.
>”Like I need a hole in my head.”
you gotta breathe through something though, right?
I’m mightily pleased to see this.
Good to have you writing again.
(Folks, the last bit is a reference to a Cracker song: “what the world needs now is another folksinger/like I need a hole in my head… what the world needs now is a new Frank Sinatra/so I can get you in bed”)
Wow, I’m surprised people still have the site in their feedreaders! Thanks for stopping by!
Yeah, CCBC has it. Full lyrics:
I don’t know what the world may need,
But I’m sure as hell that it starts with me.
And that’s a wisdom,
I’ve laughed at.
I don’t know what the world may want,
But a good stiff drink it surely don’t.
So I think I’ll go and fix myself a tall one.
Cause what the world needs now
Is a new kind of tension.
Cause the old one just bores me to death.
Cause what the world needs now
Is another folk singer
Like I need a hole in my head.
I don’t know what the world may need,
But a V8 engine is a good start for me.
Think I’ll drive to find a place
To be surly.
I don’t know what the world may want,
But some words of wisdom could comfort us.
Think I’ll leave that up to someone wiser.
Cause what the world needs now
Are some true words of wisdom
Like la la la la la la la la la
Cause what the world needs now
Is another folk singer
Like I need a hole in my head.
I don’t know what the world may need,
And I never grasped your complexities.
I’d be happy just to get your attention.
And I don’t know what the world may want,
But your long, sweet body lying next
To mine could certainly raise my spirits.
Cause what the world needs now
Is a new Frank Sinatra
So I can get you in bed.
Cause what the world needs now
Is another folk singer
Like I need a hole in my head.
Knew you’d come around sooner or later. Right now, get on with it!
Glad to see you’re back — but I’m having trouble finding a link to your feed. Got one?
Nevermind, I played around until I hit a winner: http://emptybottle.org/atom.xml
feed readers? that’s sooo old school.
WELCOME BACK YA BASTARD! It got a little messy while you were away. Sorry bout that. Frank did it.
p.s. as syncronicity would have it, you can see cher singing whats it all about alfie on my blog this week. if that doesnt scare you back into quiet i don’t know what will.
Better to hit http://feeds.feedburner.com/emptybottle/ I think, Chip. Not sure the atom feed updates any more. Not sure what does how why where any more. Hell, it’s been so long I’m surprised I remember my login to Movable Type.
I’ve given up on feeds, I wander randomly and accept whatever I find. I saw your Tumblr post.
Good to show up here to find a new post, mate. I know it takes work and such, but write more, mmkay? You have a voice that needs to be heard.