There was a time…
Deep, deep, deep into cheap beer. Parties every night. A keg always tapped. Fraternity life. But then there was maintaining that almost 4.0 average. I know, I was a bit of a freak. Living in an Animal House fraternity and a Phi Beta Kappa. But I accomplished two goals at once. Maximum social, and just enough academic to appear to future employers that I was a serious student. There were semesters… almost a challenge. Deep into books. Party, sleep, then study or write for 24+ hours straight. Rinse, repeat. Week after week, all semester long. I never knew it then, but it was such CLEAN LIVING!
Clean living… I turned off the outside world. No newspapers, no current events, no TV… and those pocket super computers you call phones were not even invented yet. No internet… hell, no personal computers.
Clean living… all the political crap did not exist. Turned off. Current events? Who cared! Life was parties and classes. No distractions from my dual college mission.
Clean living… productivity soared. The production that counted at the time – Social life and studying. And writing. I was actually creative then. The dirty outside world turned off. Almost completely. I remember later, after college, when reading a blurb of history and wondering… when did that happen? Oh yeah, those clean living years.
Clean living… you may think it is about what you put into your body. But what about your mind?
Dirty living… mind pollution. I always prided myself (post college) in possessing a deep and broad understanding of world events, latest scientific advances and studies, politics. My interpretation of a modern Renaissance man.
But it is all crap. An addiction. Being current on everything is a dirty, vicious trap. It doesn’t expand your mind. It pollutes it. Bob Dylan and Tom Petty knew it in 1987 when they wrote Jammin’ Me:
“Take back Pasadena
Take back El Salvador
Take back that country club
They’re tryin’ to build outside my door
You’re jammin’ me, you’re jammin’ me,
Quit jammin’ me
Baby you can keep me painted in a corner
You can walk away, but it’s not over”
Now…
Now. Now it is so much worse. Facebook. LinkedIn. Twitter. Youtube. Snapchat. Instagram. It never ends. TV was once the evil. But now bombarded every moment on our devices… especially that pocket super computer. The Walking Dead are real. Zombies are among us. Zombies are us.
What’s an addicted mind to do? Move to the U.P.? Buy a cabin in the woods, no internet, just nature… the mosquitos, biting black flies and 8 months of snow? Ok, I’m not ready for that. But how to get closer to a focused life again?
My plan…
I have decided to retire from following politics. It really matters not what any politician says or does. Same for current events. I’m giving them up. Almost, my wife will become my filter. I always need to listen to her more anyway. If it is important… she will tell me.
Phone (pocket super computer)… on 24 hour do not disturb. Only my contacts can get thru. No social media on my phone. None. Only on my macbook.
Facebook… to keep up with family, a few minutes every couple days.
LinkedIn… has become a near complete waste of time. I’ll check every once in awhile for direct messages.
Twitter… the modern equivalent of getting your news from the bathroom wall. Not doing it.
Instagram… same evil….
Clean living… enjoy life among humans and nature… read and write (and damn, yeah, keeping my TV guilty pleasures)… the rest is for the zombies among us.