It’s not so bad
As regular as clockwork it arrives, that feeling of ‘what have I done with my life?’… and it’s hard to ignore until you look at the big picture.
This isn’t a motivational speech, but the truth is, that a life lived is a life worth living, no matter how mundane and pointless it can seem.
Learning to walk, for instance, is pretty fantastic when you think about it. I’m not sure that I’d be willing to put that amount of effort in now, what with all the falling over, grazed knees and general leg ache…
…and reading, that’s no walk in the park either, an accomplishment that every reader should be proud of.
Indeed, pretty much everything we do is quite spectacular in the context of not having done it. Can you imagine what it would be like to have never learned to read or talk? Can you imagine what it would be like to learn it now instead?
It’s all good and as the great Ian Dury once sang, all reasons to be cheerful.
Here’s the song, lifted from youtube. Oddly it has no pictures other than the ones painted by the wonderful lyrics.
The opening drum beat for that “video” segued nicely into a song I was listening to by the Tea Party, so well infact, that it confused the hell outta me when I paused the Tea Party and the beat continued.
Yes, when viewed in context, we achieve massive and wonderful things.
It is a shame that continuing to view our lives in context is nigh impossible.
We are all told in early school years that we can all be the next prime minister or president, when most of us can only be the next manager at maccas.
It certainly has seemed weird to me, I see all these people doing wonderful things with their lives. going off to college to become doctors, scientists, police and such, all with a dedicated point to their lives. People I grew up with, and where am I now? college drop out working my way up a call center chain, yet, oddly content with my place in life. It’s what I keep telling people who ask me why I don’t want more out of life, I don’t need a lot, I am content to live my life, if I found my way into a foreign country I certainly wouldn’t be disappointed, but I think the true sign of a well lived life is how content the one living it is. so perhaps not all lives are exceptional, because people are unhappy with their lives, but no life is a waste if you make it your own.
Ahh, thank what ever deity you don’t believe in, the Flowfield Unity is back online.
Some of you may have noticed that the site was a little fried last night. It was my fault… my bad.
I was trying to sort out a problem with Stumbleupon, basically some people have been linking directly to my comic images rather than the pages they are on. The problem with this is two-fold – first, it means they don’t get to join in with our conversations and such, the second is that it chews up my bandwidth, which costs me money, which makes it harder to do this…
However, I ended up locking the site for everyone, not smart, especially as I was included in that ban.
But, we’re back now, normal service and all that, and with no small relief.
Ad
Well done, I applaud your efforts to destroy the electrical interwebs one blog at a time.
I think this effort deserves a shot of coffee (yes, I know you’ve seen it, but everyone else has to aswell)
Link
Glad to have TFFU back!
Presenting possibly the first picture to be included in the comments of The Flowfield Unity.
It’s top stuff, as are many of your photographs. You have a really good eye.
It was not supposed to link to the actual pic, just the page.
I hope that was you that added that extra linking goodness, cos I will be confused if I did it.
If it was you, then I am sooooo flattered that I am breaking out one of my rare smiles.
Aye, t’was me… I know, I should have asked permission, but hey it’s good enough to steal. I’ve kept the link there to your other photos too, and I would encourage everyone to go and look the rest of your work.
(to everyone) Go on, look. See?
…and that’s a smile is it? I thought you’d just stepped on a lego brick.
Smiling and standing on lego bricks are both pretty much the same rare and exciting event.
And both generally end in tears.
Ha! Only for you, Ben, only for you.
I did want to tell you again that this photo is brilliant.
Cheers.
I’m thinking of moving into more art related photography, so I am happy that my entry piece went down so well.
walking and reading isn’t so hot. any chimpanzee
can pull a rabbit out of a hat. paying a credit card
balance, that’s truly unique and something most
humans are incapable of doing.
You’re supposed to pay that thing off?
News to me… oh well, to the prison!
I don’t know how it works over there, but in the States you only have to dodge your creditors until the Statute of Limitations expires. Then you’re home free. So I’ve got another two years of dodging phone calls and threats of lawsuits until I’m in the clear.
maximum credit and minimum payments.
thats the corollary to
greatest reward for minimal effort.
i don’t think debtors prisons exist anymore
in most western societies.
My daughter just started walking a couple of weeks ago… it was certainly a feat. Funny thing tho, it was more of a mental feat than a physical one.
I think I might have proved that the last time I was drunk.
Congratulations too, I mean learning to walk is one thing, but creating another that learns to walk is pretty fantastic.
Thanks! She’s a peach. And smart, terribly smart. Just today she kept bringing me books (she’s 14mos old) and after I’d read them she’d say “dag yoo.”
Weird side note, I’m trying to figure out why CSS is broken on a website I’m working on, and I happened to see a comment from an “Adam_Y” on Things I Learn. The underscore cap Y looked familiar. : ) You said the idea of OSS is much greater than the reality and I totally agree. I’ve tried to start using Linux 3 or 4 times now and it just can’t stick for so many reasons. So add “wasted my life… trying to learn a new operating system…” : )
Indeed, that’s me… I do get around…
The problem I find is that I try my best to be opensource, I participate in beta trials, I give feedback and try to do my bit, similarly I’m always happy to publicise which tools I use, mostly because they work… and that’s it, a tool must work or it’s just a nice idea poorly realised.
But that’s the litmus test, and I do believe it’ll get there one day. People use tools that work best, and eventually, opensource will work best because like a concept it can’t be owned, only utilised…
…It’ll be the difference between being read to and reading for ourselves.
…still, even when you do learn to read, it’s always nice to be read to, right?
Indeed, reading to and being read to are two entirely different parts of life.
How much longer before she’s taught what restrooms and loos and “ladies lounges” are for?
And that she must wash her hands after she’s done and use a napkin to open the door when leaving the restroom?
And never to use her hand to flush any toilet that isn’t the one in her own residence.
^Y^
But yes… not just knowing how but being able to walk is pretty amazing.
Well. We just bought her a “potty chair” so I guess the craziness begins. Although my household has a very “if it doesn’t kill you” mentality… so the not touching things is down to her own preferences I suppose. (I flush public toilets with my feet, and open the doors by holding the handles in places no one ever does or by hitting the door really high or low : )
What doesn’t kill you will leave you with an enormous hospital bill.
I was thinking more along the lines of “…leaves you horribly maimed and terribly disfigured.”
The hospital bill is why they invented insurance… but i don’t think you can wrack up much in the way of bills from a little E. Coli or the like. (We come from hardy stock – the kind of people you want on the Oregon Trail)
leaves you horribly maimed and terribly disfigured
Even better.
Oregon Trail! My people always died of dysentery….if they made it past the fording of the river on one wheel.
Dysentary, ha! When I play the 7 year olds go hunting and fend off bandits.
This made me feel good in a non-creepy way, thank you, and bless Ian Dury and his rhythm stick, my life and the glory of being able to pet cats and dogs feels worthwhile again.
i can’t help but ask,
do you ever feel good in a creepy way too?
(sorry).(silly mood day for me).
Don’t we all though?
*wink wink*
All the time, all the time. (Sometimes, the petting of cats and dogs are involved in that, too.)
Silly mood days make living worthwhile too. Oughta be more of those.