Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up...
Oops. I should have read through it. This quote is a altered from the original. I'll find the original for you. Ahh, here it is.. "Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well perserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming WOW what a ride!"
The Shaw quote is kind of long, but I'll give you a bit of it: "This is the true joy in life. The being used for a purpose recognized by your self as a mighty one; that being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no "brief candle" to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possile before handing it on to future generations."
OK, so I type fast and cannot control myself. There's the whole quoate.
Seriously... life is not a journey. Life is the proverbial "it." Sure, we Christians are counting on a heaven, but even if there is a heaven it is almost assuredly so completely different from this as to defy description. I've never been comfortable with the journey metaphor, and all of the talk about how, to coin a phrase, to live fast die young and leave a good looking corpse is little more than ephemora and coffin cloth.
In any event, part of the reason I'm no longer in an industry which requires me to work 60-80 hour weeks is because there's no point. I also hear people talking bout how nice retirement will be. if you're sacrificing things in the present in the hope your future will be more enjoyable, that seems like a cheat to me.
If you have to reduce life to a catch phrase I choose the sage philosopher Marvin the Paranoid Android whos said, "Life... don't talk to me about life."
Then again, I'm in a bit of a mood. It's been a trying week. I'm happy to have tomorrow off.
I think you're kind of arguing in favor of it being a journey. You're suggesting that the people who work 60-80 hours are driving hard without taking time to smell the roses and/or get the oil changed and might not make it to their destination.
And people who look forward to retirement are also too focused on their perceived destination.
But, if it's not a journey, what is it? Just it? If this is it, then I want to proclaim "bullshit" because this sucks.
By all rights, I have no reason to complain. We've been over this before beautiful, wonderful wife, coolest kid in the world, two working cars, a house, clothes, pets. But there's enough to making me unhappy to have to believe that there's something better.
Not just ultimately when I die, but there's gotta be something better here. Someday I'll get a raise or a promotion or a better job. At the end of 2008 I'll have all the credit cards and car payments caught up. Someday I'll get the leak fixed in my front yard and the missing floor replaced in the kitchen. Someday I'll figure out what I need to do so that Lori can stay home with Rachel and future kids.
But if it's not a journey, what is it? A holding pattern? It's not like I'm waiting... I'm plugging away trying to grin and bear it and focus on the positive.
Today I had an awesome job interview for a position that would give me a sense of accomplishment - I would get to work with people, which I really like. Then I had a breakthrough about how I avoid intimacy. And decided I wouldn't do that anymore now that I see it. Then I had a pedicure party and seven of us pampered our feet, laughed, grabbed some great Italian at my favorite restaurant which is the wackiest place in Seattle. Tomorrow I'm doing my first triathlon of the season. Sunday I'll have brunch with my ex-boyfriend and good friend. I'll drive to Olympia to see my pseudo grandmother. She is ill and keeps hallucinating that she is speaking to me. I'll see my pregnant sister. I'll probably do much, much more than I've mentioned. Life is always now, and then now, and then now and then now, and then now. And love it all. Every zit, belch, fart, laugh, touch whatever. And if you analyze too long, it will be over.....so, enjoy a good quote when you read one... and move on.
Today I had an awesome job interview for a position that would give me a sense of accomplishment - I would get to work with people, which I really like. Then I had a breakthrough about how I avoid intimacy. And decided I wouldn't do that anymore now that I see it. Then I had a pedicure party and seven of us pampered our feet, laughed, grabbed some great Italian at my favorite restaurant which is the wackiest place in Seattle. Tomorrow I'm doing my first triathlon of the season. Sunday I'll have brunch with my ex-boyfriend and good friend. I'll drive to Olympia to see my pseudo grandmother. She is ill and keeps hallucinating that she is speaking to me. I'll see my pregnant sister. I'll probably do much, much more than I've mentioned. Life is always now, and then now, and then now and then now, and then now. And love it all. Every zit, belch, fart, laugh, touch whatever. And if you analyze too long, it will be over.....so, enjoy a good quote when you read one... and move on.
I think you're kind of arguing in favor of it being a journey. You're suggesting that the people who work 60-80 hours are driving hard without taking time to smell the roses and/or get the oil changed and might not make it to their destination.
And people who look forward to retirement are also too focused on their perceived destination.
But, if it's not a journey, what is it? Just it? If this is it, then I want to proclaim "bullshit" because this sucks.
By all rights, I have no reason to complain. We've been over this before beautiful, wonderful wife, coolest kid in the world, two working cars, a house, clothes, pets. But there's enough to making me unhappy to have to believe that there's something better.
Not just ultimately when I die, but there's gotta be something better here. Someday I'll get a raise or a promotion or a better job. At the end of 2008 I'll have all the credit cards and car payments caught up. Someday I'll get the leak fixed in my front yard and the missing floor replaced in the kitchen. Someday I'll figure out what I need to do so that Lori can stay home with Rachel and future kids.
But if it's not a journey, what is it? A holding pattern? It's not like I'm waiting... I'm plugging away trying to grin and bear it and focus on the positive.
10 comments:
I don't know how completely I agree, but I thought it was somewhat amusing.
This is one of my favorite quotes!! I have one from Bernard Shaw that I'll have to share sometime. Oh, and I do agree with the quote.
With my luck I'll end up living forever.
(insert audible sigh here)
Oops. I should have read through it. This quote is a altered from the original. I'll find the original for you.
Ahh, here it is..
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well perserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming WOW what a ride!"
The Shaw quote is kind of long, but I'll give you a bit of it:
"This is the true joy in life. The being used for a purpose recognized by your self as a mighty one; that being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no "brief candle" to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possile before handing it on to future generations."
OK, so I type fast and cannot control myself. There's the whole quoate.
Seriously... life is not a journey. Life is the proverbial "it." Sure, we Christians are counting on a heaven, but even if there is a heaven it is almost assuredly so completely different from this as to defy description. I've never been comfortable with the journey metaphor, and all of the talk about how, to coin a phrase, to live fast die young and leave a good looking corpse is little more than ephemora and coffin cloth.
In any event, part of the reason I'm no longer in an industry which requires me to work 60-80 hour weeks is because there's no point. I also hear people talking bout how nice retirement will be. if you're sacrificing things in the present in the hope your future will be more enjoyable, that seems like a cheat to me.
If you have to reduce life to a catch phrase I choose the sage philosopher Marvin the Paranoid Android whos said, "Life... don't talk to me about life."
Then again, I'm in a bit of a mood. It's been a trying week. I'm happy to have tomorrow off.
I think you're kind of arguing in favor of it being a journey. You're suggesting that the people who work 60-80 hours are driving hard without taking time to smell the roses and/or get the oil changed and might not make it to their destination.
And people who look forward to retirement are also too focused on their perceived destination.
But, if it's not a journey, what is it? Just it? If this is it, then I want to proclaim "bullshit" because this sucks.
By all rights, I have no reason to complain. We've been over this before beautiful, wonderful wife, coolest kid in the world, two working cars, a house, clothes, pets. But there's enough to making me unhappy to have to believe that there's something better.
Not just ultimately when I die, but there's gotta be something better here. Someday I'll get a raise or a promotion or a better job. At the end of 2008 I'll have all the credit cards and car payments caught up. Someday I'll get the leak fixed in my front yard and the missing floor replaced in the kitchen. Someday I'll figure out what I need to do so that Lori can stay home with Rachel and future kids.
But if it's not a journey, what is it? A holding pattern? It's not like I'm waiting... I'm plugging away trying to grin and bear it and focus on the positive.
Today I had an awesome job interview for a position that would give me a sense of accomplishment - I would get to work with people, which I really like. Then I had a breakthrough about how I avoid intimacy. And decided I wouldn't do that anymore now that I see it. Then I had a pedicure party and seven of us pampered our feet, laughed, grabbed some great Italian at my favorite restaurant which is the wackiest place in Seattle. Tomorrow I'm doing my first triathlon of the season. Sunday I'll have brunch with my ex-boyfriend and good friend. I'll drive to Olympia to see my pseudo grandmother. She is ill and keeps hallucinating that she is speaking to me. I'll see my pregnant sister. I'll probably do much, much more than I've mentioned. Life is always now, and then now, and then now and then now, and then now. And love it all.
Every zit, belch, fart, laugh, touch whatever. And if you analyze too long, it will be over.....so, enjoy a good quote when you read one... and move on.
Today I had an awesome job interview for a position that would give me a sense of accomplishment - I would get to work with people, which I really like. Then I had a breakthrough about how I avoid intimacy. And decided I wouldn't do that anymore now that I see it. Then I had a pedicure party and seven of us pampered our feet, laughed, grabbed some great Italian at my favorite restaurant which is the wackiest place in Seattle. Tomorrow I'm doing my first triathlon of the season. Sunday I'll have brunch with my ex-boyfriend and good friend. I'll drive to Olympia to see my pseudo grandmother. She is ill and keeps hallucinating that she is speaking to me. I'll see my pregnant sister. I'll probably do much, much more than I've mentioned. Life is always now, and then now, and then now and then now, and then now. And love it all.
Every zit, belch, fart, laugh, touch whatever. And if you analyze too long, it will be over.....so, enjoy a good quote when you read one... and move on.
I think you're kind of arguing in favor of it being a journey. You're suggesting that the people who work 60-80 hours are driving hard without taking time to smell the roses and/or get the oil changed and might not make it to their destination.
And people who look forward to retirement are also too focused on their perceived destination.
But, if it's not a journey, what is it? Just it? If this is it, then I want to proclaim "bullshit" because this sucks.
By all rights, I have no reason to complain. We've been over this before beautiful, wonderful wife, coolest kid in the world, two working cars, a house, clothes, pets. But there's enough to making me unhappy to have to believe that there's something better.
Not just ultimately when I die, but there's gotta be something better here. Someday I'll get a raise or a promotion or a better job. At the end of 2008 I'll have all the credit cards and car payments caught up. Someday I'll get the leak fixed in my front yard and the missing floor replaced in the kitchen. Someday I'll figure out what I need to do so that Lori can stay home with Rachel and future kids.
But if it's not a journey, what is it? A holding pattern? It's not like I'm waiting... I'm plugging away trying to grin and bear it and focus on the positive.
This is one of my favorite quotes!! I have one from Bernard Shaw that I'll have to share sometime. Oh, and I do agree with the quote.
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