Events like this or like this only serve to reinforce the finite nature of life for me. Of course, I didn’t need any such reinforcement.
From Bronnie Ware, author and former palliative care worker:
“Many did not realize until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness.”
Socrates wrote that the unexamined life is not worth living. In other words, he believed that a life devoid of introspection, self-reflection, and critical thinking is essentially meaningless and lacks value. To put it another way, a life lived on autopilot is not a life well-lived.
I don’t know if I had seen this twist on Socrates’ famous remark or thought of it myself, but I will write that the unlived life is not worth examining. I can hear Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House screaming on his office balcony, “Climb out of your holes, people!”
Carpe Diem! However, respect the legitimate rights of others who might be trying to do the same.
******************
Although my views on the world have not changed much since starting this blog, I am beginning to think that my writing about broken American politics, the evil of anti-semitism, etc. is not beneficial…for me. I am not going to start a new movement or change anyone’s mind about anything. For perhaps the last time I will quote Louis Armstrong, “There are some people that if they don’t know, you can’t tell them.”
All that being said, I do want to share the link to this piece from the Hoover Institution at Stanford University titled, “The False Appeal Of Socialism” written by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Instead of publishing excerpts from Ali’s essay I recommend that you read it.
******************
This CNBC article is titled, “Crypto relationship scams pose ‘catastrophic harm,’ SEC official says.” What would you expect when you combine two evils of the modern world, cryptocurrency and social media?!
******************
My potential change in writing about current events notwithstanding, I do not want to turn this into the blog version of the Herb Jepko Nitecap radio show. It consisted entirely of people calling in discussing many things, no matter how trivial, but controversial subjects, such as politics and religion, were strictly forbidden. It was the first nationally syndicated call-in talk radio show.
In the summers between high school academic years, I would stay up very late (~4 AM) and listen to the radio. Hard to imagine now, but our local TV stations would end programming before then, usually around 1:30 or 2 AM.
I stumbled onto the Nitecap show, but could not listen to what I considered utter inanity. Yes, I used words like that in high school. Hey, my third-grade teacher nicknamed me “Old Man Eloquent.” When she told me she had given me that moniker, she asked me if I knew to whom it was originally given. When I told her it was John Quincy Adams she said, “Of course you know.”
Again, intelligence is not a disease and is not something of which to be ashamed. I am not going to dumb down my communication to the lowest common denominator.
******************
Since my wonderful wife made my jaw drop with her statement that she might buy a car newer than her 2018 Corvette (although I doubt it will be anytime soon, but who knows?), I have been living vicariously through her. What do I mean? I can search for cars that I wouldn’t buy for myself, but that she might.
This is a Mercedes-Benz SL450, not an SL550 or even SL500. The SL450 (I think it was marketed as the SL400 everywhere else in the world except North America) was built from 2014 to 2020.
No, it does not have a V-8, but its 3-liter/182 cubic-inch, twin-turbo V-6 produced 362 HP/369 LB-FT of torque. When the updated 9-speed automatic transmission was added for the 2017 model year, the SL450 would accelerate from 0-60 MPH in 4.8 seconds, which is very quick, I promise you.
I wouldn’t buy a Mercedes, but as long as my wonderful wife doesn’t buy a Volkswagen or a Porsche–and she has no interest in either make, anyway–then I will not protest anything she buys. I would be happy if she buys something that makes her happy. We are all running out of days and we should enjoy our lives to the extent possible, as long as it’s legal.
#RunningOutOfDays