Please don’t stop writing (and I loved your Socratic dialogue). But do it for yourself, not for any particular group’s enjoyment. Your admirers will discover your work and grow over time, but never cater to the masses. We need more independent and original thinkers sharing their ideas and opinions—even ideas and opinions that challenge your readers’ worldview.
I really think that the desire and the attempted culmination is what counts. The other day I was walking my dog and saw a notice “Woodland trail”. That’d be nice, I thought. It should have been marked “Training area for the British SAS, American Seals & Marines”. There were parts of it that were literally impossible for my dog and I to get through. Other than danger to life and limb plus six foot high nettles it was beautiful though and I was quite pleased with myself and my dog for surviving. Why didn’t I stay on the beautifully scenic and proper footpath on which we had started our walk? Because I wanted to see the woodland, which was amazing, gorgeous and very taxing. Am I happy that I did it and ended up stiff as a plank from top to toe today. You bet I am! It was an adventure in what is nowadays a lovely but fairly unadventurous life. Mind you, there’s not too much adventure in the life of any seventy-nine year old widow anyhow.
‘I used to run marathons (before my body rebelled) and not once did anyone say to me, “you know, you can do the entire course faster in a car.”’
Yes. That encapsulates perfectly the mindset which values the end result over the process taken to achieve that result. Of course, the whole essay expands on this delightfully - but that thumbnail sketch truly was a thing of beauty.
As an aside, I miss running too. Osteoarthritis is a bastard.
Yeah, knees were first (running just finished the job that years of contact sports began when I was a kid!), then my hip. Even so, I regret nothing when I think about it honestly, though it would be nice to do some of what I used to…
You and I have something in common. I am a recovering IT manager. Started my career in 1980 as a production control clerk handling greenbar report distribution and tape library management. Finished my BA in business during that time. Started on my MBA doing night school, but married with kids put a stop to it as my poor wife was going nuts. Then as a mainframe computer operators of an IBM 360. Ended up as CTO before I switched to application design and coding, database design, general business and project management.
Before IT, I did food service, agriculture, cabinet work and home construction. I worked for a unionized steel galvanizing business before taking a pay-cut to work in that entry level IT job... because I fell in love with computers taking community college night classes programming in Fortran and Basic.
I play guitar and played in a cover band in the 80s. I write music and record it. I build furniture for our home and for gifts to family and friends. I built add-ons and structures for our mountain cabin and main home. I am the home chef. I garden with my wife. She is artistic and makes art out of wood and metal and I help her with her larger projects. My family started a craft distillery in 2016... my two sons run it. I did all the copper plumbing and designed and built many of the structures, tools, platforms and stands supporting the business.
I just had a staff retreat for my 50 employees of the SBA lender business... we did a cooking class at the Culinary Institute in Napa. It was the 3rd time we have done that. Other than company bonding time, my goal was always to get more of my staff interested in cooking at home.
My purpose for polluting your comment section with my story is to illustrate a point that needs to be made. I think the correct advice for people is that they need to keep learning as many things as they can, and preferably do it at a young age, and never stop. I have a very good life today, except for some unfortunate health lottery issues, and that good life started in a single-wide trailer. I was born into low income circumstances, but the path I took to get to my good life was one of skills mastery... many skills. My job as CEO of two companies is supported by a wide variety of things I have done... of work and hobby skills I have developed... of exposure to all of the systems, disciplines and people from a wide inventory of experience.
Wow, that is a lot of stuff! I thought I had a diverse background.
I have no musical skill. It's one area that I have little interest in. Not that I don't enjoy music.
Great advice Frank. I think the relentless negativity from the media regarding housing prices, etc. is setting many young people up to fail. "Why bother if you'll never get ahead." Your story, and to a lesser extent mine, is proof that hard work pays off.
I, too, have done -- and continue to do as a healthy 79-year-old -- many different things, almost all to great satisfaction. I summarize my attitude as "Never stop learning and trying to expand your skills." (Keep moving, too.)
Why bother? In addition to your well-considered list, how about "It's a moral imperative," or simply, "I must." My preference (as one who also loves to write) is, "It's a gift. Part of our obligation, if we choose to see it that way, is to do our utmost to develop those gifts to the furthest extent possible and perhaps, in doing so, touch another life in some way shape or form." The parable of the talents springs to mind.
Oops. “Why bother?” explains the mechanism by which nebbishes like Zoolander and Marx Carnage get elected.
Why bother?”
Please don’t stop writing (and I loved your Socratic dialogue). But do it for yourself, not for any particular group’s enjoyment. Your admirers will discover your work and grow over time, but never cater to the masses. We need more independent and original thinkers sharing their ideas and opinions—even ideas and opinions that challenge your readers’ worldview.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and insights.
Good advice. Thanks Daniel!
I really think that the desire and the attempted culmination is what counts. The other day I was walking my dog and saw a notice “Woodland trail”. That’d be nice, I thought. It should have been marked “Training area for the British SAS, American Seals & Marines”. There were parts of it that were literally impossible for my dog and I to get through. Other than danger to life and limb plus six foot high nettles it was beautiful though and I was quite pleased with myself and my dog for surviving. Why didn’t I stay on the beautifully scenic and proper footpath on which we had started our walk? Because I wanted to see the woodland, which was amazing, gorgeous and very taxing. Am I happy that I did it and ended up stiff as a plank from top to toe today. You bet I am! It was an adventure in what is nowadays a lovely but fairly unadventurous life. Mind you, there’s not too much adventure in the life of any seventy-nine year old widow anyhow.
LOL. That would be a great name for it!
Good for you for giving it a go!
Good post, brother. I get plagued with the lies and doubts quite frequently; this morning, in fact. I needed this today.
Thank you!
You are very welcome! Glad you liked it.
This was so perfect:
‘I used to run marathons (before my body rebelled) and not once did anyone say to me, “you know, you can do the entire course faster in a car.”’
Yes. That encapsulates perfectly the mindset which values the end result over the process taken to achieve that result. Of course, the whole essay expands on this delightfully - but that thumbnail sketch truly was a thing of beauty.
As an aside, I miss running too. Osteoarthritis is a bastard.
Thanks Richard!
For me it's largely been my knees.
Yeah, knees were first (running just finished the job that years of contact sports began when I was a kid!), then my hip. Even so, I regret nothing when I think about it honestly, though it would be nice to do some of what I used to…
I still play adult league hardball (at age 46) for no reason other than joy...and frustration.
Most really good 14-year-olds throw a harder fastball than I do now. But they can't hit like I can. ;)
Ha ha ha! Who cares about not being the best. It’s the being that counts.
You have to keep moving if you want to stay healthy.
This was really just a nice piece to read. I don't have anything philosophical to add other than that.
Thanks!
Great piece. Thanks.
You and I have something in common. I am a recovering IT manager. Started my career in 1980 as a production control clerk handling greenbar report distribution and tape library management. Finished my BA in business during that time. Started on my MBA doing night school, but married with kids put a stop to it as my poor wife was going nuts. Then as a mainframe computer operators of an IBM 360. Ended up as CTO before I switched to application design and coding, database design, general business and project management.
Before IT, I did food service, agriculture, cabinet work and home construction. I worked for a unionized steel galvanizing business before taking a pay-cut to work in that entry level IT job... because I fell in love with computers taking community college night classes programming in Fortran and Basic.
I play guitar and played in a cover band in the 80s. I write music and record it. I build furniture for our home and for gifts to family and friends. I built add-ons and structures for our mountain cabin and main home. I am the home chef. I garden with my wife. She is artistic and makes art out of wood and metal and I help her with her larger projects. My family started a craft distillery in 2016... my two sons run it. I did all the copper plumbing and designed and built many of the structures, tools, platforms and stands supporting the business.
I just had a staff retreat for my 50 employees of the SBA lender business... we did a cooking class at the Culinary Institute in Napa. It was the 3rd time we have done that. Other than company bonding time, my goal was always to get more of my staff interested in cooking at home.
My purpose for polluting your comment section with my story is to illustrate a point that needs to be made. I think the correct advice for people is that they need to keep learning as many things as they can, and preferably do it at a young age, and never stop. I have a very good life today, except for some unfortunate health lottery issues, and that good life started in a single-wide trailer. I was born into low income circumstances, but the path I took to get to my good life was one of skills mastery... many skills. My job as CEO of two companies is supported by a wide variety of things I have done... of work and hobby skills I have developed... of exposure to all of the systems, disciplines and people from a wide inventory of experience.
Wow, that is a lot of stuff! I thought I had a diverse background.
I have no musical skill. It's one area that I have little interest in. Not that I don't enjoy music.
Great advice Frank. I think the relentless negativity from the media regarding housing prices, etc. is setting many young people up to fail. "Why bother if you'll never get ahead." Your story, and to a lesser extent mine, is proof that hard work pays off.
Thanks for the comment!
I, too, have done -- and continue to do as a healthy 79-year-old -- many different things, almost all to great satisfaction. I summarize my attitude as "Never stop learning and trying to expand your skills." (Keep moving, too.)
Thank you for this. It was excellent. A tonic for the soul.
Thank you!
Why bother? In addition to your well-considered list, how about "It's a moral imperative," or simply, "I must." My preference (as one who also loves to write) is, "It's a gift. Part of our obligation, if we choose to see it that way, is to do our utmost to develop those gifts to the furthest extent possible and perhaps, in doing so, touch another life in some way shape or form." The parable of the talents springs to mind.
Thank you for this article.
Well said...and you're welcome.
Can you imagine the lives of the people who said that to you? What dull-witted, boring, uncurious, unaccomplished creatures they must be!