Idle time thoughts

What do you want your life to be? Impossible question to answer. Feels like you need to answer it though. Does one ever feel comfortable with the answer.....though?

Sometimes I really enjoy the rain. One time, when I was in Japan, I sat inside a tea room that had the doors open on a garden. You could look out and watch the rain fall on the garden, and it was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in my life. The world felt still and eternal the whole time that I sat and watched it drinking my tea as the rain fell. I can always think back on that image in my mind and feel at peace.

What is important in life? Happiness? What makes you happy? How can you be consistently happy? Is happiness overrated? What else is important in life? How do you answer these questions?

I feel good. Music helps. I recommend listening to music, and having a beautiful woman (or man as the case may be) love you. All those questions can be left for tomorrow. I think I am getting close to answering some of them. But you rarely answer forever...

Some times you want to run.

I want to run. I have no shoes though. No matter, I will run barefoot.

No, absurd admiral, I can get you some shoes.

Don't be a buffoon. Running increases your heartrate and therefore decreases your chance of heart attack.

Why not ski?

Running is far superior, but don't wear a life jacket while running. Always keep a napsack close by in case of famine. Run to keep the wolves from catching up. This is their season you know, the season of mad dashes into the open plains to feast on unsuspecting prey.

I see... (Internal Monoloue: "What is he talking about? There are no wolves around here. Why would you run with a napsack?) Why don't I get your running shoes? You don't want to cut your foot open on glass, right? Right.

What? Oh, where did he run off to?

I have returned.

I was hoping you had never left.

I have running shoes. Why don't you put these on?

Why?

Why what?

Why requires that you provide a reason, as far as I know "why what" is not a reason.

I meant what are you refering to?

I was asking why you have my running shoes?

I thought that you might want them.

No, what I want is my napsack.

Why?

Napsacks are one of the most useful things known to man; they allow you to carry things that you might want with you in a practicle manner.

Oh, so there is something that you might want that you want to take with you in your napsack?

Yes.

What is it?

Why should I tell you?

Well if you don't want to tell me you don't have to. I was just curious because you went on about how great napsacks are.

Well that is the last story I ever tell you, you nosey little bastard.

Sir, I meant to harm.

Right. You just don't know when to keep your nose out of another man's napsack. That's sacred territory you know?

I'm sorry, I did not know, please except my apology.. (Internal monologue: "What a weird guy. Sacred territory? What is he talking about?")

Hmmff. Well, you should know better. I run with my napsack, and my napsack runs with me. We are one out on the trail. Don't ever try to break that apart Seaman O'Malley. I run! (He departs with a wail of exaultant joy that sounds a lot like a goat bleat, you know "baaahhhh!!!". He feels a rush of endorphins to his brain as his memory flashes scenes of blissful communion with napsack and God. The feeling overtakes him. He could die right now for life could not be more perfect. Birds fly about his head. Cars wizz past on the road creating a feeling of Zen like calm allowing his body and mind to slip into an inert state where only he and napsack exist. The colors subdivide before his eyes, revealing a blank wall standing before him. He reaches for it, and feels his hand touch a door knob that he instinctively turns. The door opens, and a bright light blinds his gaze. For a moment the Zen-like calm is pierced, and he stands in awe of the light's brillience as his eyes struggle to make sense out of its ethereal power. As the light begins to loose its intensity, a few distinct shapes begin to emerge. But then quickly all the shapes coalesce into one large form that appears to be moving very fast...right at him!

A bus flattens his body against the pavement. His napsack flies through the air, landing at the foot of a willow tree where it is left to stare in horror at its fallen master. Lost in his transfixed state, he had wandered into the street. The bus driver never saw him.

It has been a good life. His napsack is buried beside him, it was too overcome with grief, and succumed not long after. They are together now...forever.)

There is a symmetry to life that is sometimes jarring in its perfection. I think this story is a good example of that. What that means, I don't really know. What I do know is that I will never be the same knowing what I know now....The world is your oyster...A penny saved is a penny earned...other platitdes provided free of charge.

MLK

I love this picture. You can just feel the power of his voice when you look at it.