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| *Storm Approaching over the San Juan* |
It was a shiny blue sky when the chicken went on... The storm won the race! Finished the bird up on the stove inside! :) ... and twenty minutes later? Yup. Blue Sky. :)
Got tricked into a lil' introspection the other day... Now THAT can be a lil' eye opening... if you let it be.
We were talking with Mark and Bobbie up in Ouray Sunday afternoon. Mark commented that "You guys really Move!" and Bobbie chimed in with; "We look and you're in Zion... the next time we look you're in Goosenecks and Mesa Verde!" :)
Geeze... and WE thought we'd slowed down! I guess my gypsy rodeo drifter parts are showing. :)
And THAT was the key to the Eye Opener for me. Ever'body... myself included has a way of passing judgement on what ever'body else is doin'. I don't mean that as any sort of criticizin'... it's just how it is.
I suppose that makin' a judgement is pretty much required... if you expect to be makin' any choices... and, it herded me around to makin' a Judgement 'bout myself.
Mostly, it's been a revelation of sorts to me. That as much as Mark and I absolutely treasure many of the same things... we are still as different as anyone can be.
As much as I treasure and NEED the High up and Lonesome... Goin' Down the Road... is, and always has been, my Chocolate... and the greater Need.
For Mark and Bobbie I'd guess their Need is found Above Timberline. For Boonie... it's apparently Bad Weather and rusty buckets. ;)
Where this thinkin' led me though is back to a lot of what I've been thinking about... and writing about. And how frugal living and minimalism fits into it all.
I'm coming 'round to the realization that Frugality and minimalism isn't or shouldn't be the goal... they should only be possible tools to achieve a goal.
The goal, to my mind should be... Finding the sheer joy in stepping out of your door... whether that door be cut in a wall that hangs above a set of wheels ;) or opens onto the deck of a sweet lil' cabin perched on the slopes above a high mountain town ;)
... stepping out that door into the sunshine of another glorious day... or the booming echoes of a thundering summer storm!
The sheer giggling joy of rolling a motorcycle over the high passes, sun or rain!... walking down a beach and finding sand dollars and star fish in the pools... or sitting in a lil' port side cafe' along the Pacific Coast Highway...
... or getting your picture taken... Standing on a Corner in Winslow Arizona!
It's not about beating yourself up because you tried to live without... and found that the self flagellating austerity, and self imposed poverty of a monk living with one tattered robe, in a stone hut on warm water and tofu burgers is not a real joyful thing.
Do you get what I'm trying to say?
If you only have a few dollars, you bet, you have to be a lil' careful how you stretch 'em... but that's all. Stretching dollars is NOT the GOAL... LIVING!!! Is the goal. Living in all the reverberating, stereoscopic Colors you can squeeze into a day!
Sipping a hot cup of coffee under the awning, while you stand watching the lighting flash and the thunder roll... good music on the stereo... the open road stretching out in front of you... Shining Times!
I've found myself feeling hypocritical and realized it's 'cause I was falling into that trap. That "conditioned" idea that you're less than a good person 'cause you like nice things. New shirts, New boots... flashy, hot rod motorcycles... or whatever. Those things that are the Hot Sauce in your life.
I'm not talking ostentation here... I'm saying what Ol' Gus once said; "It's not dyin' I'm talkin' about... It's LIVING!"
I've tried to frugalize and minimalize to fit into what I was thinking was a "proper" philosophy... and not really liking the limits I was imposing to fit my own "Stereotype" of the "ideal". Simply put... It doesn't fit me well.
In less delicate terms... what a truck load of Bull Feces! If I'm honest with myself... THAT ain't me. Fitting into what other folks have carved out to be "Proper" and "Acceptable" has NEVER been a strength of mine!
Truth be known... I was always known as the Cowboy with the Flashy shirts and the fine boots! :) What can I say? I was always a bit of a dandy and a show off... Not that I am NOW of course! ;) and that ain't 'zactly frugal or minimalist thinkin', now is it?
You know what? I LIKED me back then, and I like THAT me... Now!
Life is meant to have fun with it... not spend all our time worryin' 'bout what will people think if I do this or that... spend too much $$$ on one of "Those"... or spend our LIVES... doing what Excites us.
That is what we SHOULD be doing with every moment of life that we can... Finding those things that gets our Hearts pumpin', our faces smiling... and our adrenaline burning! LIVING! That is the ONLY thing that should take Primary Priority in any decision we make.
If something Costs too much LIFE... THAT is a waste. NOT... If LIFE costs too much we shouldn't LIVE it! Do you get what I'm saying?
Sure I'm broke, but I ain't poor! I may do things that are stupid, and make no sense to anyone... but they Make Sense to ME.
That's the key folks. In the end, the ONLY person you need to please... Is Yourself. You are a mirror. Any true and honest pleasure you give to anyone else is only that reflected from your own life.
So go out and LIVE it!
Reality Check completed!
Brian
7 comments:
Yup, you got that right.... too many people substitute THINGS for living. I can't see the happiness in that but the really important thing is to live YOUR own dream. For most of us that just takes a while to figure out!
Nicely said, Brian. Whether the living is minimalist or extravagant, or whatever in between, the key is to live life. Great post!
My daughter and I have been talking a lot lately about things costing too much LIFE!
Well said, good post. I think some folks spend too much time on "things" and not enough time on life. This was brought home to me when I received my cancer diagnosis....terminal. Thought my life and time was over. Wallowed in that a long time til it struck me one day...all of us, each and every one of us just have "today". Yesterday is gone and tomorrow isn't here, just today. I resolved then to live each day the best I could and find real joy in it....not let it pass because I was too busy doing whatever. My life has improved greatly since that day. I'm working towards getting rid of more things and enjoying the parts of life that are worth spending time on. I can just picture you opening that door and standing under that awning with a cup of coffee in ur hand and looking at that spectacular scenery. That is something money cannot buy and is such a blessing on the soul. You made my day, keep up with those posts, you have a fantastic gift with words.
Dang CowBoy, did we do that? (aka Erkle)
Yes, I must agree, and add...
The trick for people like us (you and me) is that If we have a "cabin deck overlook," we want the " mobile awning with chicken on the grill," and vice versa. Like I said, you need both... or maybe three or four circles to run...
You need the big rig to be comfy, the Chalet that lets you get back in to the country that scratches your itch, a sticks and bricks where you can spread out and recover, or do a project with man tools, a motorcycle to run cheap and cozy up to the scenery, a jeep to get you up to the flowers on Imogene Pass, boots to hike up to beautiful trout lakes, summer spots, autumn places, winter retreats... and connect them all with some Blue Highways (drool).
Amen, Bro.
I think I got lucky then. I entered van dwelling life with a goal of *living* and not merely surviving through another day of more bills than money. I guess we all have our reasons, the important thing is not to listen to our fears. Can't live when you're hiding in fear.
Twenty years from now
you will be more disappointed by the
things you didn't do than
by the ones you did.
So throw off the bowlines,
sail away from the save harbor....
catch the Tradewinds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.
Mark Twain
Thank you CowBoy for sharing you thoughts.
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