Ruminations About Stuff

Several years back, quite a few actually, the late comic genius, George Carlin, did an extented bit on stuff.  He talked about the attraction of stuff, and how the accumulation of stuff controls our lives. His bit was funny, mine only a synopsis. Jimmy Buffett noted the same principle talking about the need for self storage.  The Legendary Mikey P take on this, was said before by this not so humble scribe, "The secret to happiness is merely to want what you have."  Most of the truly unhappy people in this world are miserable because they want things they don't have, usually don't need and often, can't use. We accumulate stuff, period. The obsession drives us crazy, so what do we do about it.

I stand firmly behind the premise that the secret to happiness is to want what you have, but that is coupled with the realization that there are many that only want what they need. One of my Dad's favorite lines was that there is a big difference between what you want and what you need (he was way ahead of REM). When my brother or I asked for something, it was measured as to want or need. Most of the time, it was deemed a want, and the acquisition was determined by the level of want. Example, I wanted a car at 16, Dad said, "Get a job and buy one." My argument was but then I couldn't play baseball, I got the car, and a crappy job in a fast food joint. Should have stuck to baseball.

Recently, a sequence of events forced me to revisit the eternal Want-Need question. Many things that I considered to be absolutely essential, are, in fact, not. Many of the things that I have taken for granted, are, absolutely essential.  I am not talking about basic survival things here, but the things we accept as given.  I am unlikely to be any wiser than I was as an abject fool, but I do consider myself proud to be an ideological idiot. It isn't wisdom to suggest culling the extra stuff that clogs your life up, but a valid suggestion. The Legendary Mikey P wants a better world and wants to see the best in everybody, and is disappointed when that does not happen because many people are so single minded that they cannot get out of there way to allow themselves to find the happiness they so desire.  The Legendary Mikey P has spoken, and as such, Says So.

Curveball

Almost all of my favorite moments as a kid, and as an adult took place on a ballfield. I turned into a fairly decent coach, but my playing success was limited by the inability to hit the curveball. We are not talking about sometimes, we are talking about all the time. Throw me a fastball, look out. Throw me a curve, back to the dugout I go. Now what is the point of that, other than loving baseball? Simple, baseball is a metaphor for life, just nicely contained between white lines. Life, unfortunately, is not that simple. Most of us struggle with the same shortcomings that I had as a player, the curveball.  If you get objective and think about it, life, itself, is nothing but a series of curveballs.  Most of us can't hit 'em, but we keep swinging. The best in baseball may hit.300, that means they fail over two thirds of the time. Life doesn't give us fastballs, it is all breaking balls, but that is okay. The at bat doesn't matter as much as the next one.  It is okay to know that you can't hit the curve, but every time you step in the box, you pray for the fastball but believe that this time you are going to nail that curve.

Almost everyone I know is dealing with issues of some sort, and they can be overwhelming. Trust me I know what a good butt kicking looks like, from the wrong side. The point is, learning how to handle the curve, that is the essence of life. We hope for fastballs but get curves. The solution, learn to go with the pitch. Whatever life gives you, just get the ball in play, or if all else fails, move the runner or lean in and take it for the team. People are always trying too hard to attach meaning or blame on everything that happens in life.  The ballfield shows you how simple it really is, step up, take your cuts, sometimes you get a hit, most times not, but you get up again and keep swinging. Eventually you get that moment in the sun or the moment of redemption, as the case may be.

This is the rambling of The Legendary Mikey P and therefore terribly important. Think on it.

Peace