Wednesday, January 20, 2016

A Simple Story

My life is a pretty simple story.

I have had no great adventures, accomplished no great goals, achieved no great wealth.
I have no degrees, little knowledge, less wisdom.
I have no popularity and few friends.
What I have to say means little to many, nothing to most.
I would say that my life has very little (if any) impact on anyone else.

Maybe your life sounds pretty similar.

All-in-all, it sounds like a pretty miserable existence.
But it isn't.

Because it is a simple story, it is also filled with simple pleasures.
A warm house.
A loving family.
A good night's sleep.
A new nugget of knowledge.
A long walk.
A good cup of coffee.
An occasional ballpark hot dog.

I interact with very few people on a regular basis, but that doesn't mean that I don't enjoy the rare interactions with others. Truthfully, I'd say that I am selfish with my interactions and look to others for what I can learn from them more than for what I can share with them. I see their cultures, their adventures, their education, their lives as more interesting than mine and perhaps, look to live vicariously through their experiences.

I enjoy following people on Instagram and Twitter that lead much different lives than I do. I enjoy seeing their different food choices, exercise habits, family interactions and different social media interactions. I like to know why they believe what they believe and why they make the political choices they make.

Why do people think the way they think and how have we become so politicized in everything?
When did differences of opinion become reasons for hatred?

Sure, I have a simple story and a simple life.
But I am happy with that.
I don't think I need my 15 minutes of fame (which is good, since I'll probably never get it) to make me feel like I have a meaningful existence.
I should probably be more willing to share my simple experiences with others as they share theirs with me. I'll work on that.

It's cold out this morning , but will be warming up later. I'm enjoying my coffee. I'll walk later. It'll be another day that I will probably only talk with Chris and maybe a clerk at the store (I'll make that an errand stop on my walk).

Simple.

John <><

2 comments:

Kevin Gilmore said...

Well said, John. This reads like something I could've written about my own life with one exception: I've had my 15 minutes of fame (well, 9:52 to be precise). :P

https://vimeo.com/15487359

Mike said...

'15 minutes of famers' are quickly forgotten.