Words To Ponder

My friend Ian is a big Hunter S. Thompson fan.  Yesterday, I received this from him via text message and I thought I'd share and comment:

"Is security a utopian goal or another word for "Rut"... Where would the world be if all men sought security and had not taken risks or gambled with their lives on the chance that, if they won, life would be different and richer?  So here's my question to think about: Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on the shore and merely existed?" - Paraphrased from Hunter S. Thompson

Before I comment, I'd like to send you to a brief but cool flash animation about life because my viewpoint very much centers around the animation.  A little background, the creators of Southpark, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, made the animation on top of a recording of one of my idols - Alan Watts.  Go take a look at the animation, it's only a minute or two long, I'll wait.

Back?  Bookmark that link so you can remind yourself of it when life seems to get too serious.

Anyway, now to respond to Mr. Thompson's remark.  Taking a cue from Mr. Watts, let me just say that it isn't whether you stayed on the shore or braved the storm, it's whether you enjoyed and grew from whichever experience you chose to have.  The tragic thing is to yearn to brave the storm and be stuck on the shore or to yearn to be on shore but be stuck braving the storm.  I would also add that if you're yearning to be braving the storm because of delusions of grandeur you're likely in for a big disappointment - like the executive in the animation you just watched.

The reality is, this isn't an either/or proposition.  Successful forward movement requires some to brave the storm and others to stay on shore and care for families and keep the home.  Like Yin and Yang, neither is more or less valuable.  Their relationship to each other is truly symbiotic.  So a better question is not, "Which is better?", the real question is, "Which represents who I really want to be?"  As long as your desire comes from your heart and not from a place of peer pressure or keeping up with the Jones', then enjoy the music and dance whether that music is on the shore or on the ship.