I don’t know what I want to write. There were bushfires back home. There were towns wiped out. There were people trapped in their cars, driving to escape who got encapsulated by a fireball and reduced to cinders. There was one town (Marysville) with a population of 500… where 100 people died. I’m talking about my home state of Victoria, Australia.
It makes you feel sad, mad, and helpless. And (the stupid Pollyanna in me) makes you remember that life is sweet. Without going into too much detail, my mum died when I was 14, my dad died when I was 31, both through terminal illnesses. In between these dates, my cousin died when he was 14 through a tragic accidental accident; and several other members from my family died.
Enya is the usual music played at our family funerals, so I am not keen on her out of the funeral context. We always cremate. I’ve scattered a few ashes. Whew. So being a “silver lining person,” what do you do with this?
Life is sweet. We have to plan for the future. We have to live in the present. We have to find a balance between these. We should always tell people that we love them (family and friends) or that we appreciate what they do and their talents (co-workers).
Living for the present (in case tomorrow doesn’t come) doesn’t mean we should quit our jobs and spend our savings. But it does mean we should think about our lives and make sure we are living to our values. I have worked through the insane crunch at the expense of other parts of my life. And I have chosen not to crunch; increasing the enrichment of my life and relationships. The book “The Dip” by Seth Godin is a good one to read. I requested it at the library and when I picked it up… it was so short and I was not working at the time… that I read it in a couple of hours sitting at the library and returned it right away. Only stick it out if the crunch supports your principals and personal goals. If not, walk away. I’ve done both. Both are worthwhile.
This post doesn’t fit into any of my art/photography/gaming categories… ok, maybe gaming. Thank you for letting me vent.
The Art of Life 