“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!” – Hunter S. Thompson
As I pulled into my apartment building parking lot after 10:00 PM Sunday night after a long weekend of turkey hunting, fishing and hanging with some special friends this quote came to mind.
While I believe Hunter’s words, I also understand he had a much different definition of a wild ride in mind. If you know anything about Hunter, then you know he was a wild party writer living a crazy alcohol and drug filled late night life. Not quite my style, but his mantra still has value.
Living life to the fullest given in the set time we have on this earth, doing those things we enjoy and even those things a little out of our comfort zone is the ride we should strive.
Life is no fun staying clean
Summer is just a calendar page away. What’s on your plans for the summer?
Life is more than one week a summer at the beach. Living is wading in the Monocacy River in shorts and tennis shoes on a week day evening casting to the river’s smallmouth. Living is spending the weekend hiking to the bottom of mountain valley in Virginia, setting up the tent and staying the night without electricity. Or even better yet, use up all of those leave hours and travel around the country without any particular plans just exploring.
Whatever it is that you enjoy doing; do it more often this summer and the rest of the seasons.
Last spring I had the chance to spend two weeks casually driving across the northern states from east to west. Then I spent two months in Alaska. What I learned about myself, and what’s important in one’s life is a valuable lesson I wished I had learned many years ago.
Taking a June hike in Alaska last year.
The life plan of “getting through this” to enjoy life later, is not a journey through life; it is a postponement with unknown results.
OK, I get it, and yes there is a balance to maintain. I’m not saying to quit your job and bum around for a year, (but really you could if you really wanted). The point I want to drive home is the one that accepts keeping the older car and using the money for a trip to the Grand Canyon.
What do I have planned? In two weeks I’m floating the full length of the Monocacy River in three days with some added caveats. More to come on those plans.
