Back to life
So, with every day the routine revolves...sleep, work, eat, eventually die. I've spent so many years grinding that it makes me glad to see the young guys do it. At least it used to. I sat at a conference a few months back with a PhD overlord from the world of quant-finance academia. Some of you have probably read his books.
The center piece of this particular speech was how "China just needs to increase it's consumption and everything will go back to normal". Before you laugh...remember...many of you have read this guy's books, paid for them and adhere to their principles.
The icing on the cake was his assertion that "Capitalism is a system where I work for nothing when I am young to support my old boss, so that one day I too can grow old and make my money off the labor of the new guard".
I thought of this speech yesterday as I drove across 6 states. There's something about being out in the world that complete changes your perspective. No, I don't mean out on the streets of the city, in a supermarket or on the subway. I mean outside of the bubble, watching life as it happens in real time. Not being somebody's bitch and deluding yourself that this is what you actually want.
I started before dawn and spent the whole day in the ride. Alone with the road. Wind in your hair or in my case, lack thereof. Smell of gasoline and the purr of the engine.
Watching the sun come up and set in front of your eyes is a feeling that can't be described and even though we've all done it a million times, there's something about this particular show when you're present from the time the screen goes up to when it drops over the stage. Clears your head in a whole different way...
This really is a beautiful country and we often forget it. Some of us may not even be aware to begin with. You can't see this array of corn field, ocean sized lake, sloping mountain range and ultimately, ocean again any place else. Well, if you've got time to stop at borders and hit hotels and such...
But nothing really compares to a road trip and the freedom and clarity it brings.
I'm older than most of you guys, but still young enough to have plenty of indentured servitude ahead of me. Whether you work for yourself or a conglomerate, you only get a set amount of time on this planet. Yesterday was one of those days that reminded me of this fact. So, in between gaming your plan to take over the universe or at least, land on the buyside...take a minute to breathe it all in.
Life goes by pretty fast, if you don't stop to look around once in a while...you might miss it.
Great post.
Life starts and ends in the blink of an eye compared to the eternal uncertainty awaiting us all. So whether it's playing around with excel or getting bitched at, we need to remember the reasons for our existence on this tiny little planet.
I love the way, this computer tweaked out and won't upload anything but a fat red X.
Must be some evil MD not wanting his monkeys getting any image laden ideas. Thanks though.
you really hate your job, huh?
Excellent article Midas, reminds me a lot of what this guy did a while back: http://www.neatorama.com/2010/06/11/the-man-who-sold-everything-he-owne…
Thanks for the invite...
Very morose my man.
Get busy living or get busy dying - Brooks from Shawshank Redemption.
Great post.
definitely hits home, but man was i hoping you'd unveil some sort of life plan there at the end...
@LIBOR. Actually not a whole way away from you. If you're capable of handling a hunting rifle, skinning your own din din and ready to do some heavy weight landscaping, I will call you on the next run.
@GM Sack. Life's non linear. That's the problem with "the track" it doesn't account for personal growth. It's like your future valuation of a company 20 years forward, except it goes broke in 10. You gotta work on you bro. If you don't get that gig or that chick or that car or that vibe or whatever it is you're striving for...it ain't the end of the world. Keep focused on making your personal situation better. It may seem counter to logic. But feeling good and enjoying life are prerequisites to success, not by products of it.
@danjay72. It's all a matter of perspective. Give a depressed degenerate the world, he'll groan at not owning the galaxy. Give a hungry man a method of feeding himself consistently, you'll see the biggest shit eating grin. Great quote, btw. I try to live it every day.
I wish I had that attitude 8 years ago. But better late than never.
Good stuff.
Midas,
I know this is old, but I would like to extend out my last SB to you for such a brilliant post.
Sigh...Midas, come back! We need more gold like this!
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