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I ask you this, what can we do for ourselves in the absence of our world? Let me quantify this question. First, let us assume that our world is made up of our creature comforts, our pleasures, our vices, our instruments of distraction. In short, ‘our world’ gets in the way of experiencing ‘the world’.
So, by design, if we take away the elements of our world and tear down the walls of our comfort, what is at the core? When we are alone with our own mind, without distraction, can we be at peace or are we struggling to bear the eerie silence. Do we crave distraction?
I pondered this thought as I was drinking coffee at a local breakfast joint here in town. I have gone about a month without a television, without an online game, without any of the countless items that became who I was. For me, the process has been amazing and is continually evolving.
So, now, I ask…
In the absence of our world, what can we do for ourselves? I say simply, “much.”
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As of late, I have been trying to bestow this very poinient and relative chunk of knowlege upon a great friend of mine.
Comment by N.Gagnon May 15, 2008 @ 8:09 pmHe is a man who seems to hide in distraction, and a man who takes more comfort in the known, than any other person I’ve come close to. “His world” is not his own in my opinion, it his parents, his friends, his love interests, his fears, and his jobs. (Please note, that I say that as a man who has at one point lived every bit the same)
I feel that he needs to see in himself, what everyone else sees. Then, and only then, do I feel that he will venture out and take on the world that awaits him. A world that would happily accept, and be bettered by his coming. In doing so, I honestly belive he will find his “New World”, a world that will e much more suitable.
In related and semi-current news, I would like to compare this to the boy that sported the “Farve” jersey for 11 years or so. This boy was mocked, made fun of, laughed at, questioned, and exposed to no end. But I have to ask, How is he any different than the next joe who won’t leave thier home town, or the girl who won’t drop the shitty boyfriend? They’re all doing something that makes them feel comfortable, something that will keep them in their element, if not just for one more day, month, or year.
Great stuff Greg. I needed that.
I have a friend that IS that person! Once he is in that comfort zone, he refuses change and will not want to become his own. In a way it seems like he does not want to live his life for himself or he is so scared of failure that he does not live up to his own potential. It is great to be smart, but if you are not using it then what good is it… Is that person really considered to be smart!? I think we are talking about the same friend…Maybe he should trust his friends in what they tell him instead of staying in his “comfort zone” that seems to be a little played out.
Comment by daryl May 19, 2008 @ 5:22 pmI have this friend! He has a comfort zone that is almost uncomfortable. He has the same time he goes to work, same days off, same day each week he visits family, and he even shaves on the same day each week. Those are just the every day basics, but his comfort level is now affecting his future. He sleeps late every day, slacks in school, and seems content with what he has become whether he knows it or not. He says that he knows and he is changing, but is he really when he still has those days where he does absolutely nothing.
I think we are talking about the same friend Mr. Gagnon. He is a great friend and for that reason you would think he would trust his friends when they tell him that a change is something he NEEDS, not something that would be cool. He needs to know that change is hard for almost everyone, but at sometime you need to pull your huggies up and just do it. He is a very smart person, but is he really that intelligent if he does not live up to his potential!?…
Comment by Daryl May 19, 2008 @ 5:46 pmAt some point, he has to kick his own ass. After all, if you get him to realize his true potential, he becomes a project and not a person. I think the best way to call someone to action is to lead by example, always reminding them, “come and join me.”
Good to hear some dialogue about this stuff. You guys, as young men, should pat yourselves on the back for engaging in this conversation. Some people do not have the constitution for it. I am afraid that your friend may be one of them. He may be a guitar hero, but what happens when the TV goes out.
Comment by Greg Stuetze May 19, 2008 @ 11:47 pmGreat way to put it!! And funny enough, he is a Guitar Hero Nut!!!!!!!
Comment by Daryl May 20, 2008 @ 1:19 pm