Regrets! #1

When I woke up this morning, early, actually well before sunrise, I scanned my email, as I regularly do. I deleted those that held little interest this morning and then went back and opened those from friends or blogs I usually read or news feeds to scan the headlines. There I found an email from a friend and reader of this blog, Richard Rosen. He forwarded a link to a newsletter article, suggesting it was something I could have written.

Long story short, Richard was on the right trajectory. I've touched on some of the topics in some of my blog articles in the past. So, I thought I'd share some of the points made in the article with you with the hope of stimulating some open discussion. Remember, everyone has their own perspectives on these kinds of topics. There are no right or wrong ideas.

The title of the article was "What You Can Learn From Other People's Regrets." The author, one Dr. Joseph Mercola, who publishes the Mercola Health Newsletter. But, more specifically Dr. Mercola expounded on the regrets people have as they approach death. He gathered his information from a book titled, "The Top Five Regrets of the Dying," by Bronnie Ware, a former palliative care nurse who interviewed many dying patients during her career.

I'm not opening this up from a negative, we're all dying, approach. Rather, as a way to do something NOW to avoid these regrets when we reach our "user expiration date," someday.

So, here is the #1 Regret people have:

52 Weeks to a Simpler Life – Tip #11 – Reevaluate Your Expectations and Make Changes.

We are well into the 21^st Century. That still seems a bit strange when I say it or write it. I'm a product of the 20^th Century and, most likely, so are you. While I'm not officially a “Baby Boomer,” I was born a year earlier than the Boomer generation has been defined to begin, I still grew up as part of that generation. Those were good times and those were bad times. Those of us who are Boomers were initially defined by the aftermath of the Great Depression and World War II.

Our parents wanted us to have better lives than they had. That's not unusual. I believe all parents since the beginning of time want their offspring to have lives better than they had. That's probably never been truer than during the past couple centuries as technology advanced at ever more accelerating rates. Those of us born in the 40's were actually around before or at the time the first 12” 33 1/3 and 7” 45 rpm phonograph records were introduced. Since then we've gone through those records, the 4 track and 8 track cartridge, the compact audio cassette, the CD, the Philips Digital Cassette, Digital Audio Tape (DAT), flash memory mp3 players, the iPod and now streaming and downloadable music formats. And that's just one small facet of our ever expanding technological world.

WTF . . . Where's The Fire?

IMPORTANT: Before I begin this article, I want to remind you to take the very brief survey I asked you to respond to last Wednesday. I've received quite a number of responses to date, however, the more responses I receive, the better the information will be. The survey will only be active for one more week. After next Wednesday I'll be compiling the results and won't accept any further responses. The survey is short and simple. It shouldn't take you longer than 1 minute to respond. It is completely anonymous. I have no idea of who responded or how you responded. And, I want to thank you and those who have already responded for granting me this one priceless minute of your time. Here's the link to the survey. Survey Link   Please respond now, if you haven't already.

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WTF?  In today's vernacular those three letters have assumed the meaning of a pretty familiar and graphic question? But, I have chosen to use the same three letters to pose another question. Perhaps, many of us will adopt them to our own vocabulary of modern "text" abbreviations. Here is my question:

WTF? Where's The Fire?

Okay, for the grammarians reading this, technically, "Where's" is a contraction of where is. But, give me this one. The question is still valid, and, who knows, I may be starting a new text abbreviation.

The question, "where's the fire?" is one that has been settling in with me for a number of years. As you know, I always attempt to be honest and avoid being hypocritical, so I'm not only pointing the finger at others in a hurry, I have also been one of those people in a hurry. Infrequently, and that's very infrequently, I still allow myself to get into a situation of chasing a fire.

Grades Just Don't Matter All That Much!

An old high school friend forwarded a YouTube video to me a little while ago. The title of the YouTube video was "Ten Minutes of Wisdom." Well, I'm right in the middle of a bunch of little detail stuff, plus composing another article to post, so I didn't think I'd take the time to watch the video right then. But . . .  I was curious and so I clicked on the link. It was a presentation by a speaker at a college in Abilene, Texas. One of his key points was that grades don't count for all that much, so just deal with them whether in school or career, but don't allow them to control your life. . . READ MORE and I'll give you the link to the YouTube.

Why We Buy More Stuff Than We Need

My Front Porch during my massive uncluttering and downsizing in 2008. 
Why did I even own this stuff? But, wait! There's more.  

I was sitting in my friend's 91 year old mother's living room the other evening engaging in some conversation with this delightful woman, older than my own mother would have been at this time. She was telling me she had decided to go through some of the closets, in her way too large a home for one widowed person of her age, to get rid of some "stuff." She pointed to her foot she held up prominently and said, "Ed, how do you like my new shoes?" I commented that they looked nice.

She then explained that she found this and another pair of new shoes, neither of which had ever been worn by her or the person who gave them to the Goodwill Store in town. She bought them, not because she actually needed them (of course, they were her size and fit properly), but because they were only $2.00 per pair. Who could pass up a deal like that. She didn't need the shoes and she wouldn't have bought these particular shoes in a shoe store if she actually needed shoes, but hey, who could afford to pass up a deal like that even if you don't need whatever it is? 
. . . READ MORE

Do You Have A Round TUIT?

Do you have a "Round TUIT?"

I do! I was sorting through another box of "Stuff" the other day, in my ongoing quest to downsize and
minimize (yep - I'm still at the process that seems never ending). In the box, I found a brass, stamped, flat, coin shaped object with the capital letters "TUIT" debossed in one side. The other side of the coin shaped object is irrelevant.

  

So, it's shape is round and it says "TUIT" on the object - why, that makes it a "Round TUIT." So, what the heck is a "Round TUIT," anyway? I can't spend it. It's not heavy enough to be a paperweight (and I don't have much paper anyway). I haven't seen a lot of these, so my guess is that most people never get a round tuit. . . READ MORE

Photo-of-the-Week #171 Home Sweet Home, 123 Polk Street, Syracuse, New York, June 2014

Once before, in an earlier post, I mentioned a song we recorded in our Washington, DC studio in the mid '70's entitled, "Stranger in My Home Town." Well, even though I had only resided in Syracuse, New York for two years, from 1967-1969, it still felt, in a way, like a hometown to me. But, as I visited it in June of this year, I was that "stranger" from the song title.

The building in this photo is a studio apartment complex located at 123 Polk Street in the town of Dewitt, New York. Dewitt is a suburb bordering the Syracuse city limit. This very building, on the first floor, was one of the places I called "home, sweet home" for the last month or so I lived in Syracuse. . . . READ MORE

Enough Is Too Much

I'm sure you reached a point of frustration at some time during your life when you just threw your hands up and declared, "Enough is enough!" Everyone reaches that point at least once, if not multiple times during his or her life.

But, let me pose this question . . .

When does enough become too much? . . . READ MORE

Photo-of-the-Week #169 – Alert: Don't Waste Your Time! Antique Wireless Museum, Bloomfield, New York, July 6, 2014

I don't usually use pictures of places like this as Photos-of-the-Week, but for the Antique Wireless Museum, I'm making an exception. This place REALLY ticked me off. I discovered the place on my way through New York State to a new location. I checked it out and found out it was not open the day I was passing through the area. That annoyed me, but didn't really make me angry. There was a similar museum in Connecticut near Bradley International Airport that wasn't open very many hours, either. Basically, the place pictured above was only open for a couple hours on Tuesdays and for three hours each on Saturdays and Sundays. Now, THAT is NOT convenient for the public. It should have been my first hint. . . READ MORE

Information Overload, Brain Drain & Writers Block

As regular readers of this blog, I'm sure you have noticed that I haven't been publishing much in the way of new articles for the past few months. I regret that. I have actually written several posts, however, after spending considerable time writing and contemplating each article, I just wasn't satisfied that I was delivering thoughts and ideas I felt would be useful for you. So, they sit in my draft file and may surface sometime in the future after I look them over again and possibly edit or rewrite them.

So, What Is My Problem?

I am back at my base camp in West Virginia. I arrived here about 9:30 PM this past Tuesday evening, July 22^nd after six weeks of travel. I realized that I just haven't been producing the way I normally do or the way I like to. Since I returned I actually wrote, yet, another article the other day. I wasn't happy with it either.

So, I realize that I'm in some kind of funk, phase or mode that I'm not very pleased with, after all, my life and philosophy are all about living free, yet, I don't seem to be able to write anything about it. Am I actually living free? Is my mind and creativity free? Or, am I trapped in some kind of black hole of my own creation.

I believe I've identified three causes for my writing malaise. The first is “Information Overload” or as some call it, “TMI” or “too much information.” It's basically mental clutter. The second is “Brain Drain.” The third is “Writer's Block.” Let me explore each of these a bit with the intent of helping emerge from my personal state of the literary doldrums and, perhaps, assisting you in climbing out of some kind of personal “black hole” you may be dealing with.

I might also mention that this kind of lethargy or mild despondency may actually be the manifestation of some (hopefully) mild form of depression. I'm not sure what specifically triggers various manifestations of depression, but I know that I have a genetic predisposition. So, while I don't feel particularly depressed, it may have nothing to do with how I'm actually reacting.

Information Overload

Let me first examine the idea of “TMI.” I am, by my very nature and as a 50 year veteran of the recording industry, an information “sponge.” While I was drawn into the recording industry by the music part of the business, I actually spent the vast majority of my life creating thousands of hours of information content. I guess I could almost say my middle name is Information. People often comment to me that I'm a fount of information. This can be very good, but it can also be a curse.

I am a voracious reader (though I really never classified myself as such), but not so much in book form as in articles, blog posts, newsletters and a variety of other forms. There has been so much going on in our country and our world, both recently and currently. My mind seems to never quit grabbing at and attempting to comprehend and order continuous sound bites both aural and printed. I have also shared time with an amazing array of very interesting people over the past six weeks on my just completed trek to New Jersey, Connecticut, New York (state) and Pennsylvania. By the way, if you aren't aware, I find just about everyone amazing and interesting since each person is so unique.

I learned so much on the trek. I took more than a thousand photos. I have about 150 hours (maybe more) of video I've captured with my dash cam. I explored old “stomping grounds” and witnessed the changes. I met, spoke with and learned from the numerous people I interacted with along the way. All this while traveling about 3,300 miles mainly in just one of the four states I visited. My mind may be having some issues with sorting, categorizing and analyzing this “data” to put to some tangible use. So, as I said, TMI!

Brain Drain

What I mean by “Brain Drain” might be considered by some to be numb or “brain dead” (not in the clinical sense, but psychologically and, maybe, emotionally). There is so much going on inside my head that I simply have needed to shut down for a while to take some time to sort, analyze and categorize all the accumulated new data. I need to discern that which is useful and valuable enough to to relate it to you and which is the chaff that I simply need to discard.

There is a blog I read by Randy, titled Mobile Kodgers. Randy seems to have his act together, but he uses pictures to speak thousands of words. He has found his voice. I haven't met Randy, yet, but intend to when I get out west later this year. Another interesting blog is Waterfall Road by TJ Worthington. I've met TJ down in his territory in the mountains of northwestern North Carolina. I was down there this past New Years Eve and passed a brief pleasantry with TJ, but it was at a celebration of one of my closest and longest friend's wedding (on New Year's Eve – that's a way to start a new year). So, I didn't have the opportunity to get aside with TJ and really chat about – well, lots of things. TJ also seems to have his thoughts in order.

So, not only am I dealing with Information Overload, but I've allowed this overload condition to drain my brain, leading to . . .

Writer's Block

I'm sure, if you've been reading my blog for any length of time, being at a loss for words has not been a problem for me. Actually, if anything, I need to get a copy of the AP Style Guide used by journalists and learn how to curb my words to make my posts faster, easier to read and comprehend and more interesting. (Maybe I'll order a copy for my Kindle library after I complete this post.).

Writer's Block is a real psychological problem, first described by a psychoanalyst in 1947. Many, if not all, writers including best selling, award winning authors have suffered the malady at some level at one or more times during their careers. So, while not exactly reassuring, at least I know I'm in good company and I can “recover.” I also read another article that enumerated ten types of writer's block and I can identify with at least four, if not five, of those.

I am going to post this article because it may assist you in overcoming some form of writer's block or even just some other challenge or even procrastination you may be dealing with. I know there are numerous other bloggers and writers who read this blog and, perhaps, you may also be going through some periods when writer's block sets you back a bit.

Ready! Set! Write!

I have a lot of things I want to write about. And, actually, writing this article has been educational and motivating for me. It has helped me focus my attention on the issue and recognize the things that may be blocking my creativity and productivity. So, be ready for some new articles with, what I hope will be, valuable and useful information. It's welled up inside this living free, location independent, nomadic blogger. It's about time, isn't it?

Ed's Living Free Simple Plan For A Meaningful and Purpose Driven Life

This morning I read a very interesting post by Trent Hamm in his very popular blog (over one million readers every month) The Simple Dollar. The title of the article is "Building a Meaningful Life from the Bottom Up." The title of the article is a link to the actual article if you'd like to read it yourself.

We live in a world that is so busy and so stressful that most people simply keep going, doing all kinds of things they consider necessary until . . . well, until they stop, because they are too stressed, have run out of time and are just too tired to do anymore. So, they call it a day and start the next day doing the same thing and end the same way, day in and day out, including the weekends. Is there any wonder that most people realize little joy, contentment and fulfillment in their lives? They simply do stuff they automatically accept as necessary and important without determining if it serves any meaningful purpose in their lives. . . READ MORE

Happiness - A State of Mind

"The purpose of our lives is to be happy." Dalai Lama

Through my nearly seven decades of life I have done many things, traveled many roads and paths, experienced success and failure in many ways, loved, been loved, disliked and have been disliked, laughed and cried until tears dropped from my eye like rain, worked hard, played hard and but seldom relaxed with the same intensity and tried and experienced a long list of things. Of course, I haven't tried or experienced everything I thought I'd like to experience. But, I've come to accept that I, like everyone, will leave this life with a mountain of "unfinished business." It took me a while to get my head wrapped around that idea because, for some reason, probably youthful exuberance, I felt I could realize all my dreams and aspirations. I feel pretty comfortable in making a broad generalization in saying that you could say the same thing. And, if you're not ready to concede, you will someday.

In our early years, childhood through adolescence, I don't think many people, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, religion and so on, ponder the nature and meaning of life. I'm sure lower forms of life function on one primary level, survival. Since each of us evolved from a single cell life form (and this is not a discussion of creationism vs. evolution vs. intelligent design - that is a debate I'm not interested or willing to devolve into), science has hypothesized that all humans have what is termed as a reptilian brain. The reptilian brain is the primitive part of the brain that was responsible for the typical behavior of a species involving aggression, dominance, territoriality and rituals. As the human brain developed and humans became "civilized" many of these traits were tempered. That being said, these traits were the basis of survival for the primitive species and even the current lower forms of animal life. However, we still see these traits to varying degrees in our current human species.

So, what do I mean that these traits are still at work in our current, civilized human species? The first and most dominant trait is survival. Aggression is in evidence in every society on the planet whether it is on a football field, a battlefield, the ranks of government, scientific discovery, the corporate cube farm and even the classroom. Aggression can be positive as in those who strive to improve the world or negative as in those who rob, rape, murder, etc. And, of course, there is a broad spectrum between the two extremes. Dominance is observable by those who strive to be the best in athletics, business, military command and any other aspect of human endeavor. The territorial trait is displayed by our desire to have our own cave, den, nest or home (be it an apartment, house or a bed in a dormitory or military barracks). It is "our" territory; others stay out unless invited in. Rituals are normally thought of as things like weddings, funerals, religious ceremonies and so on. However, the ritual is as primitive as going out on the daily hunt for food, building a nest to lay eggs in each year and then protecting and feeding the chicks until it's time for them to "leave the nest." We as civilized humans take all of this for granted and while we may have tempered and socialized these traits, they are all very instinctual, primitive traits stored in our DNA and processed by our reptilian brain.

Why?

So, am I relating all this in an article about happiness? It's actually very simple. Happiness is very simple. In researching for this article I found hundreds of quotes related to being happy and experiencing happiness. But, the quotes that spoke most clearly and profoundly to me were the simple quotes like the Dalai Lama's quote at this beginning of this writing. Now, believe me when I tell you that I am not going to define happiness for you and your life. That is way, way above my pay grade. What I am going to do is offer you some food for thought and contemplation. At some point in life most of us will ask the questions "Why?" and "What is the purpose of life, more specifically my own life?" If you remember back to when we were children we all had certain inquisitiveness. You know, the "Why is the sky blue, Daddy?' type questions we posed to our parents and others we looked up to and depended on to initiate us into this life.

Personally, I think the Dalai Lama answered the question about the purpose of life most profoundly with only nine simple words. Leo Tolstoy said, "If you want to be happy, be." He used only seven words to tell us the formula for happiness. Another interesting perspective is proffered by Desiderius Erasmus "It is the chiefest point of happiness that a man is willing to be what he is." I believe Shakespeare said something similar when he wrote, "To thine own self be true . . ." Anna Pavlova says that happiness is a right, "The right to happiness is fundamental." Susan B. Anthony suggested another important quality that defines happiness when she said,

"Independence is happiness." I like to use the words, personal freedom. And perhaps these words from the French philosopher, Albert Camu wraps it all up with a bow on the package, "But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads?

There are hundreds more quotes from all kinds of people going back to Biblical times, the Greek philosophers, the Buddha, Lao Tzu and a plethora of contemporary politicians, writers, celebrities of all description and modern day philosophers. However, I find it interesting that the simple quotes I listed were able to define the basis for happiness in life and reveal the formula in a few, simple words. So, if this is true, why are the world, our country, our local community, our family and most importantly the average person not happy? Where have we gone wrong? Have we made life far too complicated? Are we overlooking a honeybee pollinating a flower, the beautiful colors we can see looking through the prismatic effect of a drop of due with the early morning sun shining through it, a sunset so majestic as it reflects in a still lake that it takes one's breath away, the sound of a child giggling and laughing as they play hide and seek or swing on a tire swing? Have we placed such high expectations on ourselves and those around us that we can't be happy when we/they fall short of these expectations? Have we become so dependent on others that we've given away that vitally important ingredient of independence or personal freedom? Can you honestly think, considering an average lifespan of, say, 80 years, of any other true purpose of living this brief time on Earth more honest, more true than being happy and living in a state of happiness?

The Cost of Happiness

What does it cost to be happy? Douglas Horton said, "To buy happiness is to sell soul." I'm sorry! That doesn't sound like a good deal to me. "Money has never made man happy, nor will it, there is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more of it one has the more one wants." Those are the words of our own Benjamin Franklin, a philosopher if there ever was one.

So, what do we do with those 80 years of our lives?

We're born and typically spend the first 18 to 25 years (around 25% of our lives) preparing to go forth and live whatever the purpose of our life supposedly is. This varies in length, of course, depending on the country and culture.

From approximately age 22 to age 65 to 70 we work at some kind of professional career. This consumes approximately another 54% - 60% of our 80-year life span. During this period we typically take on the responsibility of family, some kind of occupational or professional career, establishing a home (owned or rented), providing for the necessities besides shelter like food, clothing, medical care and then the accumulation of as much stuff as we can cram into our space and when we run out of space we either move to a bigger space or rent storage space from someone else to keep stuff we aren't using if we have to store it. And then there is the constant concern with generating financial income to pay for all the stuff, the space, the necessities of life and a future time that is becoming less likely to manifest itself, called retirement. Much of this money we're forced to earn is used for paying debt on one or more mortgages, multiple motor vehicles and their upkeep and paying off all the stuff that's going to end up in storage at some point in time. Is this a formula for happiness? Is this a description of independence or personal freedom? Personally, having been down that road, I for one can emphatically say, NOT!

Finally, if we are fortunate enough and we did more things right than wrong and the stars are aligned and our health holds out, we reach this nebulous time of life labeled "Retirement." This segment of life, for those who actually, voluntarily reach it comprises 10 to 15 years or between 12.5% to 19% of our 80-year life span. There are a lot of variables that can impact those 10 to 15 years including one's health and medical condition, one's financial position, an individual's spouse, if they are married (and sometimes their grandchildren) and one's psychological/mental situation. A nominal percentage of the population will be financially capable and physically/mentally able to enjoy a retirement at some degree of leisure while some will be about to still kick up their heels and thrive during a part of this time of their lives.

It is not my position to judge or prescribe anything for anyone. I have one life I'm responsible for and that, quite frankly, is a full-time job. One thing I know for sure is that life is unpredictable. Here are a few anecdotal stories and I'm sure you have as many as I have or more. A guy I went to elementary, jr. high and senior high school with died two months before he planned to retire at age 66. This is a short, but true story. A professional speaker friend I knew had a heart condition and had been fortunate enough to have developed a reasonable amount of wealth. His wife was a victim of MS. He retired at age 60, bought a motor home and he and his wife were going to travel together as long as they could. He had a massive heart attack and died before they got on the road. Another professional speaker friend and his wife discovered RVing, bought a new beautiful 40', high-end motor coach. They were living and working (both speakers, consultants and writers) from the motor home. He developed a rare muscular, autoimmune disease. He died in his motor home about a year later at age 61. Another friend from graduate school, actually he, his wife and I all met in graduate school, took care of his wife who contracted MS nearly 30 years before she finally died just short of 70 years old. He has already undergone a heart valve transplant. And, most recently, a friend, the husband of a woman who has worked with me on a volunteer organization was celebrating his retirement at age 70. He and his wife traveled to Asia and were in an underdeveloped country (Myanmar) when he caught a flu, that turned to pneumonia and when he had an asthma attack in his hotel room and modern medical treatment was not available, he died - in a foreign country.

Okay, so that's the doom and gloom side of the equation. I don't dwell on that nor should you or anyone else. We know a certain percentage (fortunately, a fairly small percentage) of people will not make it to that average lifespan age of 80. Basically, 50% of us won't make 80 and 50% of us will live longer than 80. We just don't know which side of that average we're going to we'll be in.

"The purpose of our lives is to be happy."

So, I go back to my original premise as so profoundly stated by the Dali Lama. If this is the purpose of our lives, are we happy? More importantly, are you happy? It took me a long time to reach this point for myself, but I realized that happiness is really a state of mind. Sure, living comfortably, having enough quality food to eat, being able stay warm in the cold weather and cool in the warm weather, having comfortable and appropriate clothing having access to quality health care and all the other things we consider to be basic to our lifestyle are all good and certainly contribute to our happiness. And, for me, and most likely you, as well, having independence and personal freedom are a major part of my state of mind and my attitude of happiness. Pretty much everything else, for me, is optional. I still have way too much stuff in my life. That stuff is actually a burden to me and does nothing to enhance my life currently or provide any comfort. It's simply stuff. If anything, I have to chide myself when I think about, what I now consider, poor utilization of my funds by acquiring most of the things I have now determined are just "stuff" cluttering my life.

Heck! Am I saying it's wrong to want and desire some things, just because you want them? Absolutely not! Am I saying that, perhaps, many or, possibly, most of the things we label as stuff in our lives, we didn't really need and might not have really wanted, but we thought we did or it raised our social status or it helped us keep up with the Joneses? Yes, in many instances.

I have no regrets. It's too late now. "Woulda," "shoulda," "coulda" have no basis. It's all history. Would I have done things differently and/or made different decisions and choices with what I now have learned about myself. Absolutely. But, I've simplified my life. It's still way too complex, but the simpler the better. I've downsized and continue to downsize. I found this to be a difficult task (others may not find it so). However, I don't miss anything I've eliminated from my life. I am not a cheapskate, but I am definitely far more frugal in my economic decisions. While I've enjoyed many pleasures in life like staying in some of the finest hotels in the world (normally at a client's expense, though sometimes at my own), I find that I'm just as content and sleep just as well in a decent, budget motel when I need one. I've eaten in many fine restaurants, even four-star restaurants. However, I'm just as happy and perhaps more happy with a couple hot dogs at Rutt's Hut or a sack of White Castle tiny hamburgers (sliders). I enjoy finding healthy and economical foods I can prepare quick and easily myself. I make myself justify the purchases I make based on actual need or some long-term use. Otherwise I'll borrow, rent or do without it. I need a very limited amount of space to live in. I've lived in numerous spacious houses on mountaintops, on lakes on ranches and so on, but I now realize I can be comfortable in the confines of my 50 square foot living space in My McVansion. And the best part is I can change my scenery as often as I choose and if I don't like a neighbor, it takes nothing to turn the ignition switch and move to a new "neighborhood." I do like technology and the benefits and freedom it affords me. But, even in that part of my life, I've ramped back and now look for the best technology for my needs at the best value and the knowledge that I can utilize it for some time.

How about you? Are you happy? What is your happiness? Are you happy all the time (not likely, me neither)? Are you happy the vast majority of the time (I am)? Are you happy some of the time? Are you mostly getting by in life with an occasional moment of happiness? What will it take for you to go from where you are now to being happy the vast majority of the time? What will it take to stop worrying about money, debt, being burdened by your stuff, your health, your relationships, and your job/career/profession/business? I'm really interested in exploring this concept of happiness. As I said, I'm happy the vast majority of the time, but I know there are more things to learn from others. I'd love to share these ideas and concepts. Nothing is wrong if it makes you happy. If you're not as happy as you feel you'd like to be or should be, what can it hurt to share with others?

So, here's the deal. You can leave comments on this post at the bottom. However, I encourage you to click here livingfreeandhappy-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or the "Living Free" icon in the left column of this post and join my "Live Free and Happy" Forum on Yahoo. The forum has been around for a couple years, but it just hasn't been very active. I started the forum specifically to explore ideas, philosophies and experiences about how to have a better, freer and happier life. As the Dali Lama said, "The purpose of our lives is to be happy."  So what are you waiting for - you can have it now if you choose to. 

And while you're at it, Like the "LivingFree" Facebook page, see the link in the right column of this post and help me get that site more active. 

There is a huge population of people to reach who want to live free and happy. I know I can only touch a very few people, but if we band together, maybe we can make this a much better world for everyone.

See you on the "Live Free and Happy" Forum and the "Living Free" Facebook page.   

Wasting Your Life vs. Engaging Your Life

As I do most mornings, this morning I skimmed through several blog posts of those blogs I follow fairly regularly. At the same time, I watch for links to new blogs that I may not have been aware of before. I am always looking for information, ideas and topical issues that, of course, relate to me and my life and journey in some manner. Obviously, there is far too much to read in any given period of time, so I look for things that really strike a chord with me and then I read them in depth and often bookmark them for future reference.

But, as I'm sure you're aware, we live in an age of information and frankly, I believe it's more an age of information overload. I'm humbled by the idea that you're taking your valuable time to read this post right now. This is where today's topic comes into play. Have you ever had the feeling that you are wasting your life? I certainly have. And, if I'm going to be completely honest, I've had this feeling over and over again. I'll slip into a bit of a blue funk and ask myself questions like:

Have I lived up to my parents' (both deceased) expectations?

Have I lived up to my siblings' expectations?

Have I lived up to my offspring's' (if you have any - I do) expectations?

Have I lived up to my friends' expectations?

Have I lived up to professional expectations?

Have I achieved success in life?

Have I achieved my own dreams, goals and personal expectations?

Do I waste time doing unproductive things?

Am I measuring up to society's expectations?

Am I wasting or have I wasted my life?
. . . and the most important question of all (that I forgot and had to be reminded by a reader of this blog, Rob, see his comment below)
Am I HAPPY?

Feel free to add any of your own questions to this list.

This morning I found and read three blog posts, plus a new blog I discovered through Twitter. Two of the posts I read struck a chord with me and the third presented an interesting idea. Here are links to the three posts. One was specifically on Wasting Your Life. I enjoyed Trent's commentary on the subject, especially since he's virtually half my age. The next one was from Lois, a 50 something woman, born with Muscular Dystrophy and who has accomplished a great deal in her lifetime (the MD didn't hold her back) - Everything That's Wrong. The third post was from Trent again and I believe this can be an interesting and excellent exercise for anyone with a question about how good their life really is - TheJar of Life. 

So, here are my thoughts on Wasting Your Life vs. Engaging Your Life.

Expectations

So, why do some of us (if not most of us) harbor thoughts about whether we are wasting our lives? I contend that it's probably because from our earliest memories we have been conditioned to fulfill expectations that have been imposed upon us by external sources. Of course, there are some basic societal expectations we must conform to if we're going to live within whatever society we were born. While human beings are, at our most basic level, members of the animal kingdom, we are far from being the free roaming animals our earliest ancestors were. Now, I know that there are some people who read this blog who prefer to accept the Biblical version of how humans came to be on this planet. While I was raised in a pretty conservative Baptist church in New Jersey, I am more inclined to accept the scientific and historical evolution of our species.

That being said, it is the responsibility of our parents, siblings, extended family, community, educational system and, if we had a religious connection, the religious community to instill us with values, societal standards and an understanding of the kind of behavior that is expected as we grow into full-fledged members of our society. But, that's not all. We are also taught expectations of being productive and responsible members of the society. For the vast majority of the population of most societies, especially in developed countries, the definition of being productive and responsible members of the society translates into possibly obtaining advanced education in some specialized field or discipline, applying whatever education (advanced, technical, occupational or basic) into an income producing career usually through jobs working for someone else, tempering our primal instinct to procreate into a monogamous relationship through a contractual marriage arrangement, bringing forth offspring to perpetuate the species, setting objectives to become stabilized by establishing credit, purchasing property and a home, accumulating, what we believe to be necessities of life, but most often are extraneous wants, working diligently and advancing up some kind of ladder of success and finally, after some 40 to 45 years and being diligent stewards of our earnings, retiring to live out the balance of our lives on this planet in some form of comfort.

Now, let me be perfectly honest. After writing that long paragraph and description of a lifetime, I'm actually very bored. Think about this. Let's use the number 80 as the average lifespan of the average person in the United States. According to the World Health Organization that is the approximate overall average age in the U.S. as of 2013. Eighty years amounts to 701,280 hours. If we establish that the average person will work 45 years at some kind of typical job putting in 8 hours per day plus an additional 2 hours to allow for commuting and lunch/breaks for a total of 10 hours per day 5 days a week we are devoting 112,500 hours to the job. Let's add another 8 hours a day including commuting and homework, five days a week for 14 years (12 years of mandatory education and two years for advanced education or training allowing that not everyone gains a 4 year degree or advanced degrees) for education. This equals approximately 20,160 hours. Let's allow for an average of approximately 7 hours of sleep/rest daily or another 204,540 hours. So, those three activities during our 80-year lifespan will consume approximately 337,200 of our 701,280 hours or approximately 48% of our lifetime.

So, one might be led to say, well, that's great because that leaves about 364,080 hours to do all the things I want to do. However, we have not taken out the necessary time for preparing and consuming meals, shopping for food and other necessities, maintaining our clothing, vehicles, residence (including yard work), periods of illness, extracurricular activities for the offspring and such. That 364,080 number continues to get whittled down. But, this is the life of an average, responsible, productive human being in the U.S. Interestingly, there are something like 32 countries in the world where the average lifespan is anywhere from a couple months longer than the U.S. lifespan to 6.5 years longer. It's another area in which the U.S. is lagging behind.

Wasting Your Life

So, what do you consider wasting your life? Do you feel you didn't meet all the expectations raised by the questions at the beginning of this article? Do you feel like you haven't achieved a large enough or luxurious enough home or you don't have one or more vacation homes? Maybe you haven't been able to acquire all the "Stuff" you feel you should have in order to prove you have not wasted your life. Did you not work enough hours to become the CEO of the company you've devoted years to? Perhaps at the end of the 45-year working plan you can't afford to retire. Maybe you wonder why some people who have taken alternative journeys in life spending their lives doing the things they loved doing, but may not have met with the success that societal expectations place on people.  Perhaps they became artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, inventors, golfers, white water river rafting guides, professional surfers, skiers, crafts people, race car drivers, rodeo riders, actors, circus performers . . . you can add to the list as you are so inclined. Did they waste their lives?

I have often reviewed my life. I have the equivalent of about 17 years of formal education. I volunteered almost four years of my life to the U.S. military. I had a few part-time or summer jobs through high school and college/graduate school. But, starting at age 12 with an independent newspaper route, I have mainly been self-employed. For the majority of my career I worked in excess of 40 hours per week and frequently worked weekends and holidays and seldom took vacations. I created probably a hundred jobs. I did innovative things in the recording, tape duplication, video production and book publishing industries. Not everything I did was successful. Truth be known, probably less than 50% of the things I did were successful. But, all during those years and businesses I was working at meeting someone's expectations including my own. When things didn't go well or I experienced a failure, I felt like I had wasted my life.

It wasn't until I finally realized that a human life is finite. It has an expiration date. I further realized that while there will always be a small number of people who will make huge contributions to society, the vast majority will, in the grand scheme of things, contribute very little. We were not all born with the gifts of Beethoven, Socrates, Shakespeare, Newton, da Vinci, Franklin, Jefferson, Edison, Ford, Gates, Jobs and others. I felt like I was wasting my life when I wasn't contributing something to society that would change the world, as we know it. However, when I did come to the realization that if I could leave the planet just a little bit better than when I found it, my life wasn't wasted. Further, I realized that other than adhering to the basic standards and values of a civil and law-biding member of society, my life didn't have to meet up to anyone else's expectations other than my own. That's when I really began to live free even though I felt I had a living free philosophy most of my life.

I used to feel guilty if I spent too much time reading through other people's blog posts or occasionally glancing through Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn or reading and replying to posts on numerous Internet forums I belong to or watching some favorite TV shows or movies. I felt this was wasting my time. While I was participating in those activities, I wasn't doing something far more important and contributing to saving the world and making it a better place. I've finally grown past that. But, I do ponder what drives people to want to take on extremely demanding jobs, elected offices or sacrifice massive amounts of their finite number of hours when in the end, they will die just as you and I will and revert back to the basic elements from which we came. Personally, the only waste of life I can identify is sacrificing those finite hours either to accumulate stuff, gain status or because of a drive for power over others.

Of course, I don't believe I have the answers for everyone or anyone else's lives. I hold everyone in an equal accord and believe that if you want to buy into the burden of expectations laid on us by others and society, it's entirely their right and choice. But, they shouldn't expect me to respect them because they make those choices and they shouldn't disrespect me because I choose not to live under that burden of expectations. I only regret that I didn't truly realize this, much like Trent has, at age 35. Just remember, it's your life and there are no dress rehearsals. This is it, baby, live and in living color and in real time. Spend your time focusing on whatever feels right to you for your time and life.

Engaging Your Life   

Here's the real approach I believe we should all use in life . . . Engage! What do I mean? Simple. It's your life so what do YOU want from it. If you're doing anything other than engaging in the life you want, THEN and only THEN are you truly wasting your life. If you want to entertain then do it. If you want to be an artist of some kind then do it. If you want to operate your own business of some kind get on with it. If you want to travel and see the country or the world then get cracking. This is where your focus should be. It should not be on doing someone else's bidding or wishing or whining about . . . you'd do it, but.

It's important to know and accept that in some ways you can have your cake and eat it, too. But, in other cases, that's not going to happen. If you're tied down to a house or property that is a burden, then eliminate it. If you have a job that demands massive amounts of your time and leaves you both drained and unmotivated, it's time to move on. Don't let the excuse of "the money is too good" or I have to have this much money to get by. Remember, you can't take any of that money with you when your life clock runs out and very few of us know when that's going happen. Figure out what you REALLY need to engage in the life you want and stop wasting your life with excuses and doing others' bidding.

I had a client one-time right after I completed my second college degree. I was running my business part of the time and teaching part of the time at a local community college at that point in my life. He asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I said I wanted to be in business for myself, but I needed the income and I was thinking of taking a full-time job. He told me the chances are if I take a full-time job, I will spend the rest of my life in the false security of the full-time job and the paycheck that came with it. I'd probably never truly pursue my own dream of working for myself full-time and when I finally reached retirement age, my business would still be a part-time business and I would have missed numerous avenues of opportunity. He was right! Another man I met at that time told me, "You make your own breaks in life. No one will make your breaks for you. If you want something make your break and go after it." He was right, too.

I just reached my 69th year. It is the commencement of my 70th year on this planet. According to what I said earlier, the World Health Organization projects ten more years for me to enjoy this journey (actually a couple years less because I'm a male). Now, I'm hoping and I'm planning on being one of those who lives to the high side of that average number. So, I may be around for another 15 or 20 years, maybe more. But, I can't count on that. So, my plan is not to focus on how I may have wasted my life. My plan is to engage in all I can in life. I've come to realize that nothing I have done to date was a waste of my life; it is history and what I did at that time. If I want to find a beautiful spot on a beach or a mountaintop and read blog posts or write blog posts or I want to watch a favorite TV show or movie or chat with a friend on the phone, I will so engage. Money be damned. I will live, love and laugh until my journey ends.

My long time friend, Dave Yoho, a man who grew up in a ghetto in Philadelphia and became a self-made millionaire by 30, sent this inscription in a birthday card, "How fortunate are we to live in a time when we have opportunities to express ourselves Creatively, to follow our own Drummer and to Experience Life in a manner of our own choosing. So it is . . . Enjoy/Savor Each Moment." I pass that on to you. 

Photo-of-the-Week #148 - Another Sunset from Paradise, Ocean Pond, Osceola National Forest, Florida, February 2014

Okay! You know I love to photograph sunrises and sunsets. I just happen to believe they are some of the most majestic representations of God's, Mother Nature's or however you want to describe an artist so awesome as to be able to create this. And, of course, it's not created just once, but over and over again since the beginning of time. And, no two of them are alike.

This was taken just after the sun went behind the tree line the night before last. Everyone at the Ocean Pond stopped whatever they were doing and watched this moving spectacle. There's not much really to say except, I'm very glad I was there and that I had my camera close at hand. 

Living Free In An Unfree World

This morning I'm writing from Gainesville, Florida, home of the Gators of the University of Florida as well as some good friends, Lou and Jonellen Heckler and Ray Perez. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of spending some quality time with the Hecklers and Ray. So, between the wonderful day of sunshine, light breeze and moderate temperature and the wonderful people and conversation, I can best describe the day as EXCELLENT!

But, I have to be really honest, even on rainy and colder days; I seldom have days that aren't excellent anymore. Is this because my life and days are extremely blessed? Of course they are. But, it's not because I am financially wealthy or have exceptional friends or live exceptionally. It's because I have CHOSEN to live free. I choose to find good in each day. I choose to find good in people whether they are wealthy or poor. I choose for each day to be EXCELLENT. And best of all, I have the Freedom of Choice through my personal philosophy of Living Free to make each day Excellent.

The late Harry Browne wrote a book in 1973 titled How to Live Free in an Unfree World: A Handbook for Personal Liberty. 1973 was the year I was discharged from my four years of involuntary indentured servitude to the government of the United States. That's a wordy way of saying I chose to enlist in the U.S. Air Force for four years of military service at ridiculously low wages instead of being drafted into the U.S. Army for two years and potentially ending up in rice paddies or tunnel diving in Vietnam in a war I never supported. Now, while I made that all sound very dark and sinister, the fact is, that I chose "voluntarily" enlisting in the Air Force because I had already secured a job in Washington, DC producing radio programs and phonograph records for the Secretary of the Air Force. So, quite honestly, while I didn't get paid very much, I served the mission of the U.S. Air Force while honing my skills and experience in the recording industry and advancing my own professional career. In other words, I CHOSE to make the best of a situation that, under normal circumstance, most people would have little control.

I didn't learn about Harry Browne's book until about 2011, five years after Mr. Browne's death. His book opened my mind to many ideas and insights that I hadn't examined before regarding living free, freedom and liberty. However, Mr. Browne, as a Libertarian, politically, did focus a fair amount around the political aspects of freedom and liberty. I prefer not to be labeled as anything, especially in a political context. True, when I take the little quizzes on the Internet to determine my political predisposition (Conservative, Liberal, Statist, Libertarian, etc.) I virtually always qualify as a mainstream Libertarian. However, that doesn't always represent my actual feelings about many issues. In reality, there hasn't been any candidate in decades for any office in government that truly represents me. So, in reality, elections are really a moot point for me.

While much of what Harry Browne discusses and expounds on in his book is very relevant to my personal philosophy of Living Free, much of it is somewhat irrelevant. It's taken me a lifetime to reach the understanding I have of what Living Free means to me. Unfortunately, this seems to be more the rule than the exception. Young people believe they know what freedom is all about. Actually, they think they know everything. When I was 17, I sure believed I knew everything. All you had to do was ask me something or, better yet, try to tell me something and I'd tell you, "I know!" "I know!" "I know!" Ah, the brash blindness and exuberance of youth. Actually, that blind exuberance is a very good thing because I took on "dragons" I didn't know I couldn't defeat - and DEFEATED THEM. I contend that our society wouldn't have progressed much further than the caves we once lived in if it hadn't been for brash, blind youthful exuberance.

Discovering Our Own Reality

The reality is most of us know very little about freedom and some, dare I say most, never discover what true personal freedom means during an entire lifetime. Why is that? Simple! Because from the time we're infants we're indoctrinated into a system and lifestyle by people who are not living free, but conforming to the system they were indoctrinated into. They were ultimately beaten into submission and their youthful exuberance resolved to conformity of the masses. Essentially, this is the story and history of humans and civilization and socialization. It's how we learn, whether born in the United States in some nice suburban community, an urban inner city or a rural farm or forest or an oppressive county under dictatorial rule or a tribal society under a chief, king or warlord. We learn from those who came before us and we're expected to conform to the values and ideologies of the culture and society we are born into. And, most people, the vast majority, comply and conform, thus, perpetuating the society.

But, alas, along comes the occasional non-conformist. Non-conformists come in all shapes, colors, sizes and both genders. They are the iconoclasts. They believe that there is more to life than what the indoctrination prescribes. Some of these people truly embrace greater degrees of living free; we often attach labels to them like hippies, bums, shiftless, homeless and others. Others become entrepreneurs and instead of finding and working at a job of some kind for someone else, they create their own jobs and with it, very often, an altered lifestyle. Still others exploit their genetically acquired talents to express themselves in various forms of art, music and invention. They are often described as starving artists, starving musicians and starving inventors because accumulating vast sums of money, secure, traditional housing, clothing and food and acquiring a collection of material stuff does not motivate them. Their love of what they choose to do with their given talent and love of it sustains them.

So, as an old saying goes, I suppose from some TV show (modern culture), "different strokes for different folks." During an earlier phase of my "Living Free" philosophical development, I often condemned anyone who couldn't understand and grasp my concept of living free. My thought was that these folks are "trapped" in this world of debt, stuff and running in a rut day in and day out. But, I've since some to understand and appreciate that this is simply how it all works. Some people are happy with the life they have though it may allow for little personal freedom. Others may believe that they are ultimately buying their freedom when they retire at some arbitrarily established time during their life timeline, if they are fortunate enough to live long enough and retain their health and physical abilities. Still others just accept that this is their lot in life. "The Man" controls everything and they are just the pawns or worker bees and do his/her bidding and accept whatever lifestyle that may allow.

And, of course, there are those who are the down trodden who believe they have been dumped on and live off the sweat of others. And this group breaks down further into three groups in my mind. First, there are those who want to work their way up the system and become productive members of society and live off the sweat of others only until they can pull themselves up the ladder. Next are those who simply except poverty as their lot in life and live off the sweat of others and don't care to improve their situation. And, finally, there are those who "play the system." The Players are those who could be productive members of society, gain respect and even position and join those who make up the larger part of our society. Instead, they choose to play the system and use their skills and cunning to live off the fat of the productive members of society. In essence, they are the "conmen" (and women) of the welfare system.

The Common Denominator

The common denominator is simply that we all live in an "Unfree World." No matter what country, state, province, county, city, town, village or neighborhood we happen to reside in there is always someone or some small group of people who desire to make everything better for everyone else by determining how everyone should live. Don't ask me why, but I could never buy into that idea. No one knows how I want to live, let alone determine how I should live. They don't know me. They don't know my personal make-up, what makes me tick, what brings me joy or how I should live my life. So, yes, I am one of those non-conformists. I'm not an extreme non-conformist, but I don't buy into someone telling me they know what's best for me.

Living Free in an Unfree World requires the exercise of our freedom of choice. We can choose to live in a traditional home . . . or not. We can decide to live in a particular city, town, village or county . . . or not. We can have a fixed location where we can always be found or we can be mobile and change our neighbors and scenery at will, by choice. We can eat store bought, genetically modified food and steroid/antibiotic filled meat or we can eat vegetarian, vegan or organically. We can earn our income in a traditional job working for "The Man" and have our life and lifestyle controlled by "The Man's" determination of our monetary value to him or her and control what we'll do and how many hours on what days we'll serve his/her requirements or we can exploit our own talents, abilities, experience and skills and determine our own worth and what hours and how many we'll work doing what.

This is all part of the idea of Living Free in an Unfree World. The biggest and most powerful tool we have for living free is our freedom of choice. Give that up and you're not free and you're conforming to the Unfree World. Exercise that freedom of choice and be the captain of your own life and you can live free in the Unfree World.

I'm going to explore this topic more in the future. But, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. Leave a comment or drop me a note by email and let me know where you stand.  

Change! The ONLY Thing You Can Count On!

LOOK AT ME!!!!

Sigh! I'm a bit melancholy today. Oh! Life is great and this trek is still a magnificent statement about my personal freedom. My melancholy is because, while I generally accept and deal with change very well, there are just those few things that one wants to hold onto.

Let me elaborate a little. I've spent the last few days in the Ocala, Florida area. Nearby are The Villages (about 20 miles south), Silver Springs, the beautiful crystal clear spring fed lake where they have the glass bottom boats and Ocala National Forest. Each of these has some significance to me.

The Villages

 

The Villages is the latest thing that has some significance for me. The first time I visited The Villages was in 2005, I believe. I have two friends who moved from Winchester, Virginia, my home area for some 26 or 27 years to The Villages in 2004. My friend Carolyn and I toured The Villages in 2005 and were, like most people from the Baby Boomer and the Greatest Generation, pretty enthralled with what we saw and experienced. It literally is about as close to the perfect hometown as one could want. It has everything anyone might want. It is safe, quiet and clean. There is always something to do. There are all kinds of entertainment, live and movies 365 days a year. It's pretty much perfect. My thought was once one moved to The Villages one wouldn't leave very often, if ever, because everything one could want was there.

It had a population of about 75,000 in 2005. Move forward to 2014, nine years later. The population has now topped 100,000. There is still a substantial amount of room in the more than 550 square miles, by some estimates, including water. Approximately 30 square miles is developed into homes, retail, medical facilities, golf courses and a plethora of other recreational facilities. If, The Villages ever fills out most of the estimated 550 square miles, it will be one of the largest city areas in the United States, beating out New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco.

And there lies the rub for me. While it's nearly perfect with an A rated charter school system, a 200 plus (and doubling) hospital, plus a planned satellite hospital, a 99,000 sq. ft. VA full-service medical clinic, a ridiculously low crime rate and all the shopping and recreation one could want, it's becoming a BIG CITY! A big city means TOO MANY PEOPLE and too many people means TRAFFIC and CONGESTION. So, while, in 2005 I was enthralled and could even see myself living in this place, in 2014, it has bypassed me. It just isn't worth dealing with all the people, traffic and congestion to avail myself of the few amenities I would take advantage of. Alas, it has changed.

Ocala National Forest

Ocala National Forest is one of the oldest national forests in the U.S. My first experience was 49 years ago at the age of 20. Actually, I could even say probably dating back to around 59 years ago, plus or minus a couple years, when my parents brought us kids to Silver Springs on the edge of Ocala National Forest. Some time in the not too distant past Silver Springs was taken over by the Florida State Park system and Ocala National Forest and it's tourist attractions was taken over about 20 years ago by a concessionaire. A lot has changed since my earliest experiences.

Silver Springs

Silver Springs is no longer the busy, vibrant tourist attraction it was in the days of my youth. As I said, it was been taken over by the state when the private owners could no longer maintain it as a viable business. Such attractions as Disney World, Epcot Center, Sea World and Universal Studios, to mention a few drew all the tourist and vacation travelers to Orlando and with I-95, I-75 and I-4 making it infinitely easier to get to Orlando, Ocala and Silver Springs were bypassed.

Today, an $8.00 per car pass gets you into the parking lot and the only attractions that are available are a ride on the glass bottom boats on the crystal clear water of the spring fed lake and a restaurant. Everything else is "being renovated" whatever that means. Needless to say, I saved my $8.00 and moved on. Alas, things have changed.

Juniper Springs

I first visited Juniper Springs 49 years ago this upcoming summer. I was 20 years old and going into my junior year in college in New Jersey. The year before (at 19), I took the last vacation with my family when we all came to Daytona Beach and I met the lovely and cute Jane. Jane was a native born Floridian who grew up in Daytona Beach. She was still in high school when we met, going into her senior year, I believe. Jane and I corresponded (the old fashioned way, by written letters) for the next year. So, the next summer when I was 20, grabbed a couple buddies and off we went to Daytona Beach to meet up with Jane and a couple of her girlfriends. One of the places Jane took us all was Ocala National Forest and, as I remember, Juniper Springs and Alexander Springs. To us Jersey boys, these springs were remarkable.

Well, I visited Juniper Springs a few years ago. And things have changed. As I mentioned, about 20 years ago a concessionaire took over all the tourist attractions in Ocala National Forest including Juniper Springs. When I was there 49 years ago they were free for public use and they were pretty much still in their natural state. Today there is a fee for camping or day use. Albeit, not very much, with my Senior National Park pass, I only paid $2.50, but it wasn't free. There were defined parking areas, signage of all kinds, modern restrooms and change areas (bathing suits) a concession stand and, well, frankly, it didn't seem to resemble what I recalled from 49 years ago. Disappointment!

Alexander Springs

Yesterday I visited Alexander Springs. Sigh! Once again, it had a fee, defined parking, signage, canoe and kayak rentals, a fee to scuba dive, a day fee, a camping fee, modern restrooms and change areas (a nice improvement) and a concession stand. My recollection of the springs was, again, very different than what I found. I recall there being a hole in the center of the springs I was told went down around 100 feet with caves where scuba divers would go down to and explore the small caves. I was told it was only about 25 or so feet deep where the caves are. It was crystal clear (as was Juniper Springs), but 49 years ago I could see the divers way down at the bottom. Today, I couldn't see anything.

There was also a stream that led off the springs that was a form of wet nature trail and we walked that stream until we reached a sign with a skull and crossbones indicating this was as far as we should go because beyond that point we would encounter alligators and water snakes. And at one point we passed a place where two other streams fed into the main stream and the water from the two other streams were different colors and didn't blend into the water in the main stream bed. I'm guessing, scientifically, that some natural minerals caused the water colors and the density of the water was different than the main streambed, thus, they didn't blend. No stream was apparent any longer. I asked the concession attendant and he indicated there had been a stream off the springs, but it had pretty much dried up and was only apparent as some marshy spots. He said it hadn't been around as long as he had worked there. He was only 47, so he wasn't even born when I first visited the springs.

Our Memories

So, it goes back to what I keep telling people. The only thing that really is ours is our memories. Most things are fleeting and as the world (and this country) keeps growing in population at exponential rates, we're going to find more and more things changing, The Villages, Silver Springs, Alexander Springs and Juniper Springs are only a speck in the overall scheme of things. When I get back up north to my storage unit I'm going to find my "Chest of Life" where I still have pictures of my Juniper and Alexander Springs experience from 49 years ago and see how accurate my memory was as I revisited these places from my past.

Life is short! The older you get the less life there is to experience all the wonders of this world. And, as each passing year goes by, because of the population density, there are more and more restrictions and limitations on so many of the things that were once open and free to experience. I guess the key is to stop putting off life and DO IT NOW!

So Much To Do, So Little Time To Do It!

I'm sure you've said that yourself. It seems to be a pretty common theme in this complicated time we live in. Glenn Morrissette of To Simplify and Gary Arndt of Everything, Everywhere, two of the nomadic bloggers I follow, regularly seem to express this or similar sentiments. Believe it or not, it takes a lot to live a simple, frugal, nomadic, free lifestyle. I know! You're saying, "Stop complaining, you don't have a "rut job," fixed residence, spouse/family, etc. to be responsible for" . . . and you're right! But, that doesn't mean there aren't responsibilities and matters that have to be addressed even for someone who is "living free."

I have soooooo many photos I've been taking. Gary Arndt has to plan time off the road just to go through and edit all his photos and I'm in complete accord with Gary. Glenn, who used to post something everyday while on the road has started to cut back to every other day or even every three days most of the time now. Some of his posts consist of only photos with little or no text. Now, I love writing, but it takes some concentrated and focused time to write something that's both meaningful (I hope) and comprehensible. Adding some photos takes additional time. So, it starts to become a series of choices I have to make. Do I roll on and see things, meet interesting people, experience new things including wonderful new local eateries or do I sit somewhere in My McVansion and write, write, write. I'm looking for the balance, friends. I know it exists.

Today, as I compose this shorter than usual post, I'm in the parking lot of the Walmart Motor Inn (bring your own accommodations) on Wedgewood Lane in The Villages. The Villages, for those not from or familiar with Florida or not of retirement age (over 55) is the fastest growing retirement community in the U.S. It's located in central Florida, north of Orlando, south of Gainesville and roughly equal distance from the Atlantic coast and the Gulf coast. The current population of The Villages is slightly north of 100,000 folks - all 55 or older. It was the vision of a man who started it about 40 years ago and since his passing is run by his family. This guy saw what the Baby Boomer generation was going to want long before they knew what they were going to want. It's darn near about as perfect a small city as anyone could imagine. There is so much to do here that once someone moves here, it's likely they'll never want to leave and travel anywhere else. That may be a bit of an exaggeration. But, I've heard more than a few people say that. It was pretty darn fantastic when I was here about nine years ago and it's only gotten bigger and better since then, even through the real estate bubble busting and the recession.

So, yesterday I enjoyed lunch with an old friend who moved here from Winchester, Virginia ten years ago. I had dinner with another old friend who moved here from Winchester, last evening. It was great catching up with both of them and they are both completely happy with their lives here in The Villages. It turned a bit chilly yesterday with mist and some rain. Today it's a bit chillier, yet and it's overcast, rainy and misty, again. Shortly, I'm going to pull up tent stakes and head around The Villages on a little reconnaissance mission to capture photos of all the points of interest including the new (third) town center that has been constructed, or better stated is under construction, yet. If it grows like the other two, it will be a very large little town with all kinds of shopping and entertainment. And each town has a town square where there is live entertainment every evening, 365 days a year. I'm also going to stop at The Villages own radio station and plug my friend, Mickey Bo's, Rock N Roll Revue radio program he's syndicating.

From here I'm heading back over toward the Gulf coast for a few days and hope the weather will warm back up and get sunny again. I'll be meeting some more new friends over there, enjoying their company and attempting to get caught up on some writing and photo editing.

So, keep tuned and I'll get you caught up on the highlights of this trek and adventure. 

Black Friday Or Is It Black Everyday?

It's the day after Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday, Black Friday and now, what's becoming Black Thanksgiving Day. I'm sure you're aware of the numerous accounts of violence across the country involving street level fights in the middle of stores like Walmarts, stabbings, hair pulling, patrons using pepper spray and tazers and even fights over panties at Victoria's Secret. What we're seeing here is the basest level of human behavior, the "Dark Side" if you will. This is America, world. The bastion of hope, light, freedom and civility in a world that is rife with violence and evil and darkness. It simply proves that being the wealthiest society on the planet Earth doesn't remove our basic animal instinct of "survival of the fittest."

Now, to be fair, these are, of course, isolated incidents reported by the press (electronic and print) for sensationalism. Good, light, happy news doesn't sell ads and commercials and it doesn't attract readers and viewers. The most popular adult TV shows and movies are based either around crime, murder, mayhem and violence including terrorism or they are over exaggerated situation comedies that typically stretch way beyond reality. Gone are the days of the 'Father Knows Best," "Donna Reed," "Ozzie and Harriet" and "Leave It To Beaver" shows when the plots were based on the humor in real life events and the families, though probably portrayed as more functional than the average American family of the time, still tended to lift the standards and values of the viewers.

But, in a country where virtually everything is over the top, the kind of shows I cited don't attract viewers any longer. Is there any doubt why programs like WWF, boxing, no holds barred, kick boxing, ever more violent football games at all levels, hockey, pile-on infield slug-fests at baseball games and even attacking an ice skating championship competitor draw bigger and bigger audiences? Even animated TV shows, once the realm of children (violent even in the early days - Roadrunner and Wiley Coyote, as one example), are full of more blood and violence. And, we certainly don't want to forget our beloved video games. The vast majority of the best-selling video games for all the platforms involve violence of some kind, but usually the basest forms.

Sociopaths And Psychopaths

So, we are taught that humans are the most intelligent life form on this planet. I wouldn't dispute that. However, whether you are a creationist or an evolutionist as far as the origin of the human species, it doesn't matter. All you have to do is read the Bible's historic account of humanity from the time of Adam and Eve, the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge and the serpent (interestingly, a reptile) and it is full of human treachery, violence and murder. All this from a "loving God." On the other hand, evolutionists believe that humans descended from the earliest single-cell life form through the fish, amphibians and, for that part of the history of evolution, the most intelligent species, reptiles, which include the extinct dinosaurs of all kinds. That is why the human brain is still described as having a lizard or reptilian segment that has mutated and grown into what is now one of the most mystifying studies.

I'm not a biologist, anthropologist or psychologist. I've had, during my early, required and voluntary college education, the typical courses in biology, some minor touches of anthropology and a minimal amount of formal psychology. However, over my 68+ years of life in this evolving society, I've observed and learned a lot about this human animal. I contend that every human alive has some form of, what we now label as, personality disorder. In other words, there are no perfect human beings. Those who accept and believe in various religious doctrines will refute me and tell me that Jesus was perfect because he was the Son of God and you're welcome to believe that. Historians are finding all kinds of proof that refute his perfection. I further contend that every one of us has some sociopathic and psychopathic tendencies and they are seated deeply in that reptilian brain.

Thankfully, 90% of the human species is able to sublimate those traits and we seldom resort to them. However, according to one person from an article I read this morning, about 1 in 10 of us will display either the sociopathic or the psychopathic part of our personalities. I contend that these are the people that walk among us everywhere we go whether in our neighborhoods, shopping malls, workplace and schools to mention a few. They manifest these personality traits and accompanying behaviors in a variety of ways. These are the people that are reported on by the media in the Black Friday violence in the stores.

The worst of them, and thankfully, only a very small percentage of the 10% I noted, are the mass murderers, serial murderers, rapists, war criminals, child and spouse abusers, animal abusers, etc. These people have no conscience and no remorse for their actions. Some actually gain personal pleasure from their heinous acts. Perhaps we are witnessing the next level up from the most base level I just described in this new "sport" being termed by the news media as the "Knock Out Games." This is where someone will walk up to a complete, unsuspecting stranger and attempt to knock them unconscious with a single punch to the head. There is no other motive or intention for the attack like robbery or revenge.

Certainly, some of these 10% of the population channel these tendencies in positive ways, although, they are capable of changing the positive to the negative in a heartbeat. I contend that some people and certainly not all, men and women alike, who choose careers in law enforcement, firefighting, combat military and especially the special forces like the Navy Seals, Green Berets, Delta Force, etc., CIA and other undercover covert operating agencies and similar are such sociopaths and psychopaths. These are the people who feel justified in their actions involving violence, murder and mayhem (like snipers and assassins) because they are acting for the common good. However, we have seen these people (police officers, combat soldiers and so on) lose control to their darker side in an instant. They overstep their authority and boundaries and usually the law they are supposedly upholding and inflict their wrath on innocent and unsuspecting people. These are the people who can go to work as a police officer and inflict pain on others and come home at night and play with their children, help them with their homework and make passionate love to their spouses. These are the soldiers who go on multiple deployments into combat missions and come home without suffering from PTSD or other psychological injuries of war. Those "warriors" who return and do have to deal with PTSD and other psychological issues are typically from the other 90% of the population.

Still others are those who are fine, genteel, upright citizens . . . until they get behind the wheel of a car in a heavy traffic situation. Then horns sprout out of their head, fire comes from their nostrils, steam comes out of their ears, their vocabulary changes and their car becomes a weapon of mass destruction. You know who I mean. You see them all the time. But, worse yet, you may actually be one of them. Unfortunately, I know that I have those tendencies and I am aware of it. I have to work hard to control it. My best defense is to avoid heavy traffic and congestion situations whenever possible. But, since I am aware of it, I have created any number of personal methods to maintain my composure. So the worst I get is to utter some profanity in the seclusion of my own vehicle. I don't even use hand gestures as some friends I know often do.

So, Who Are We Anyway?

So, this is who we are. For the most part, we are gentle, kind and civil people. Some of us are very creative with all kinds of gifts and talents that we, sometimes, exploit for our own pleasure and fulfillment. Often we don't because we're too busy in our harried lives. It's those of us who are too busy living lives of quiet desperation who don't have the time. But, inside us is this reptilian brain - or the guilt and evil from the "Original Sin" for those religious oriented readers. Do we just release our frustration, anger, anxiety, depression, stress and whatever else you want to call it on Black Friday and the other days around Black Friday? Or is it becoming Black Everyday in our society? I submit that our society is breaking down under the pressure, the very society we idealize by calling it The American Dream. We are constantly bombarded by marketing messages that make us feel inadequate if we don't have the latest, greatest of this, that or the other. It seems like few people are happy with what they have. They always seem to need more to be happy only to find that when they have more they still aren't happy with what they have. Are we truly allowing the government and the huge corporate culture to dictate what "The American Dream" is and channeling us down the path (to perdition) where they want us to go and are actually stealing our personal dreams and choices of what truly makes us happy?

Here is a quote I took from the article I read this morning. I'm going to give you the link to the entire article so you can read everything in context. But, this makes so much sense to me and quite accurately defines why I HAD to change my lifestyle and the direction I was going:

What does a sheeple’s daily life consist of?

In most cases, he lives what he believes to be the American dream. He wakes up in the morning swelling with superficial concerns of personal gain, scheming ways in which he can raise his perceived stature among the other sheeple around him. He then travels to his place of employment, usually a job he hates, in order to accumulate enough wealth (scraps from the plates of government and corporate financiers) to buy all the “things” he assumes everyone else wants. In the process, he pawns off his children to state-run schools designed to crush their spirits; and he becomes estranged from his spouse, who begins to forget why they ever got married in the first place. He returns home physically and emotionally drained, knowing that he did nothing worthwhile with his time, only to sit apathetically in front of his television for a few hours being bombarded with cancerous marketing propaganda and barely talking with the family he tells himself he works so hard for.

Think about it. Think of the pitch-black void that his life has become. Think of all the abandoned dreams, all the missed opportunities for experience and joy, all the moments of reflection and self-education that were missed because he was “too busy” trying to elevate himself within the ranks of a heartless collective.

This quote is from an article I read this morning titled "The Dark-Side Psychology Behind Holiday Madness" by Brandon Smith, the founder of the Alternative Market Project. It's an interesting read. Click on the article title to go to the article. Smith also discussed some Freudian and Jungian research and psychology that further explains our behavior with regard to the growing tendency toward the dark-side of Black Friday and holiday "madness." In this quote by Freud's nephew, Edward Bernays, you can see how this psychology has been applied to manipulate the masses:

The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. … We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized. Vast numbers of human beings must cooperate in this manner if they are to live together as a smoothly functioning society. … In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons… who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind.

So, what we are seeing in human behavior is actually being manipulated by just a relatively few people, invisible from public view, who gain all the benefit from this control. Even the government that is supposedly "of the people, by the people and for the people," according to Abraham Lincoln, is controlled, and I'd even venture to say, "owned" by these invisible people who control the wires.

Freedom - Real or Imagined?

So, here are a few questions to ponder. Do you ever wonder why, if you're "living free," so many people will say they envy you (or me), but usually follow up with saying something like, but I couldn't do that or I'm too entrenched in the life I already have to change? Do you wonder why those same people do their best to fight "home-schooling" rather than allow children to learn freely as opposed to the state sanctioned education? Is there any wonder why we're falling lower and lower in the world rankings as far as education in the U.S.? Do you really have to ask why the mass of the public wants to eliminate certain liberties for those who choose to travel and live on the road labeling us as vagrants or panhandlers?

Freedom is real! Unfortunately, due to those invisible people manipulating everything through the puppets we call government, those who choose to live free, individualists, if you will, are considered rogues, rebels, mavericks and in some cases, even criminals because they (we) refuse to settle down and be under the governments controls (called laws, regulations, ordinances, etc.) and microscope and conform to everything "They" want us to do and be good "Sheeple."

I'm not talking politics here. I'm talking about something that goes way beyond politics and government. This system has existed since humans and their reptilian brains (or the brain of the serpent in the Garden of Eden) realized they could reign over the growing masses by learning what makes them tick and how to manipulate that. Then, by implanting an ever-growing number of messages in their brains, they could direct the masses down the paths that were being chosen for them by these invisible people. If you were born in or around the mid 1940's as I was and grew up during the 50's and 60's, you can easily see the changes that have been accelerating since that time. The printing press already had a long-standing impact on people's minds. Radio was already well established. But, then television came on the scene (remember the Veg-O-Matic) and brought with it even more influence and it grew even more influential with cable and satellite TV. Of course, the Internet has probably had the largest impact of all the new ways to influence people.

My final point is that I don't think I'm far off base in saying that The American Dream is not the individual's dream anymore. The dream is being consciously and subconsciously channeled and embedded in the minds of the masses so they now resemble the first quote, above, from Brandon Smith. Unfortunately, with each succeeding generation this is being more and more accepted as THE way of life and THE American Dream. Most of the individualists I encounter are from the 40's through the end of the 70's. Those born after 1980 have less, little or no idea of what freedom and living free is really about. It's very refreshing when, on occasion, I meet a young person in their 20's and 30's who gets it and chooses individualism over marching down the well worn path with the masses of sheeple. What will this country and this world look like in another two generations? I shudder to think.