Not Friday yet

but this rocks.  Settle in.

Now I've got a craving for Peanut Butter.

“Creating a life that reflects your values and satisfies your soul is a rare achievement. In a culture that relentlessly promotes avarice and excess as the good life, a person happy doing his own work is usually considered an eccentric, if not a subversive. Ambition is only understood if it’s to rise to the top of some imaginary ladder of success. Someone who takes an undemanding job because it affords him the time to pursue other interests and activities is considered a flake. A person who abandons a career in order to stay home and raise children is considered not to be living up to his potential-as if a job title and salary are the sole measure of human worth. You’ll be told in a hundred ways, some subtle and some not, to keep climbing, and never be satisfied with where you are, who you are, and what you’re doing. There are a million ways to sell yourself out, and I guarantee you’ll hear about them.”

- Bill Watterson

It all comes down to your state of mind.

“Adulthood- It doesn’t mean growing up. It means doing all the awesome shit you said you were when you were a kid.”

A reoccurring theme in my life recently has been doing what you love.  Or rather balancing doing you (I) love with what my (your) responsibilities.  This recent cycle began when I was visiting with a friend who started his own business.  This endeavor has required a huge amount of flexibility and a fair amount of risk.  I was actually involved for a short time as he was just getting started but I was offered a less glamorous and much more settled job that offered a steady (if not large) salary and a generous benefit package.  I chose stability.  I like my job.  I know that what I do has a direct positive benefit to my community and I have made some much needed improvements to how we operate that have resulted in new programs and opportunities.  I'm proud of this, but I don't love my job.  It is safe and allows me to support my family.  But I don't love it.  If I had freedom to do what I love I could rattle off a list of things I'd rather be doing (that's another entry though).

That recent visit with my aforementioned friend had me feeling jealous of his situation and how his passions have worked out for him.  More then jealous I began thinking about other friends who do what they love without concern for whether it results in financial gain or comfort.  They take comfort in doing what they love and do without material things.  They don't get caught up in societal expectations.  These feelings and thoughts were reaffirmed recently while reading, of all things, a post apocalyptic zombie novel.  It's called Zone One and it's a good one.  Heavy on philosophy not on gore and a great read.  Book reviews aside, a large portion of this book points out the folly in our modern world of bureaucratic systems and social norms.  With a fair amount of humor it points out how silly some of what we endure on a daily basis is when viewed from the other side of the void.  The curse of keeping up with the Jones' and judging success or happiness by how big your house is, what car you drive, or who's name is on your clothes doesn't make much sense in that broken world.

I have shied from risk at certain points of my life and embraced security.  I could be happy with less stuff and more experiences.  But I'm not sure that I can justify risking my children's security.  If my kids got sick or injured and I didn't have insurance to help them I wouldn't be able to live with myself.  Also my safe secure job also allows me to spend a lot of time with my kids.  I don't work more than 40 hours a week generally and it allows me to spend quality time with my kids.  It leads me to think that the romantic path sometimes isn't all it's cracked up to be.  I'm always of two minds about things so here is my resolution:  (And I'm stealing this, as well as the quote at the top, from Stevil from this place.) That as of this day, while making the choice between pursuing that which is practical and safe, or that which our much younger selves would look upon us in response, offering a big gap toothed grin,  I will chose to engage in something that my younger and probably better looking self would think was pretty sweet.  Here are a few examples of things I'm thinking about doing:

Friday Tunes

It's Friday kids.  Listen here. Heard this song here and it's been stuck with me all day so I'm passing it on.

Old Ball Game

When my children were first born I saw myself fulfilling certain rolls.  Some were more exciting than others.  Well now I can say that I can cross off the list one of the dad duties that I've been most excited to perform...coach a baseball team.  R-- is in his second year of baseball and this year I am the coach.  Better yet it's Coach Pitch so technically I'm also pitcher.  Now let me get things straight, I'm generally not too competitive, until I am. I'll get competitive about wiffleball games, pickup basketball, races to the end of the block, but kids sports?  No way.  The good thing is no one else involved it that way either and that's a good thing because these kids are bad.  If they did know which base to throw it to in order to make an out they probably wouldn't get the ball there 5 out of 10 tries.  So we work on fundamentals throwing, catching, hitting, and understanding the game, and most importantly we have fun.  I spend most of each game/practice laughing, smiling, and cheering.  We're very bad news bears (without the beer) and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Fast Boy

I've been following the story of Ezra Caldwell for a few years now and when someone shares their story so openly and honestly it feels intimate even in a public forum like the interweb, and you start to feel that you know someone even though in reality you are strangers.  Anyway, even though I don't know Ezra personally I greatly enjoy his work and words.  You should check out his stunning bikes and photographs at fast boy cycles and follow his story at www.teachingcancertocry.com.  Then watch this film which is a good window into his world.



Made by Hand / No 5 The Bike Maker from Made by Hand on Vimeo.

Just some pictures of stone walls.

Need some inspiration?

Try this on for size. Thanks PDW!