Yumiko and I were both very tired after work yesterday⌠We walked the dogs together slowly along a meandering circuit through the angled neighborhood streets where we live, utterly exhausted, our smart black dog Ollie leading the way. Dinner, our showâwhich we couldnât even finishâand then bed. I expect days like this will come more often as we continue to age, a creeping fatigue and frailty, a rising tide of sorts for those who no longer swim as well as we once did. Itâs time to get out of this sea.
Years and years ago, I walked with my mentor David Bixler, the man to whom I dedicate my book Going Alone, beside the edge of a dry lakebed in the Mojave Desert. He was teaching myself and others about the various life zones spreading out like rings from the flat barren saline plain which was the lake bed itself, at that time utterly dry and flat and hard as a dried cake of dirty salt. Professor Bixler pointed out how the more salt-tolerant plants lived right up to the edge of the barren âlakeâ, while less tolerant plants grew in great concentric rings surrounding the lake further up and into hills and mountains beyond. He pointed out that many adapted animals also followed this same pattern, including a species of small rodent which lives in burrows right up to the lakeâs edge. I thought for a bit, and then asked Professor Bixler, âWhat happens to those rodents at the lakeâs edge during the periodic heavy rains that fill such dry lakes during flash flood? Do they leave their burrows and move to higher ground?â âOh,â he said âNo, they do not move. They simply stay in their burrows and drown.â
Thatâs how yesterday felt. That tough day of work for Yumiko and me, like a desert day when a great deluge came down from the sky, and I saw the collecting waters rising quickly towards our burrow at the edge of this vast, once dry sea. Not dangerously closeânot yetâbut close enough for a good scare. Yeah, I think itâs time for us to get out of this sea.
âď¸ THE GOOD LIFE CREED âď¸
The Good Life Meditation serves as a daily compass, orienting me towards personal objectives and principles essential for a purposeful existence within an indifferent universe. Further your understanding of The Good Life by visiting my website, GoingAlone.org, or delve into my book Going Aloneâhardcover recommended. Get a signed copy here. đâď¸
đŻ OBJECTIVES: 1. Be Always Ready to Die â ď¸ 2. Make Good Use of Time and Resources âłđ ď¸ 3. Develop Good and Sound Life Principles đđŚ 4. Cultivate Good Emotional Reactions đđĄ 5. Perform Good Actions đ¤â 6. Recognize True Limits and Opportunity đŞđ 7. One Thing Slowly đ˘đ§ââď¸
8. Maintain Balance âď¸
đ PRINCIPLES: 1. Principle of War âď¸ 2. Principle of Reason đ§ 3. Homunculus đ¤ 4. Anchorhold â 5. Home of Good and Evil đđ 6. Principle of Purpose đŻ 7. Atomic Principle âď¸ 8. Principle of Nature đł 9. The Pirate Ride đ´ââ ď¸ 10. Principle of Maturity đąâĄď¸đł 11. Social Principle đ¤
12. Principle of Family đ¨âđŠâđ§ 13. Public Speaking đŁď¸ 14. Temperance đˇâĄď¸đ§ 15. Life Will Not Go Well âď¸ 16. The Horror Show đđą 17. That Which Must Be Borne đ 18. The Feast of Offal đď¸đ˝ď¸ 19. Distraction đľ 20. Agency and The Great Indifference âď¸đ 21. The Best Seat in the House đď¸ 22. The Restless Man đŁ 23. The Path of Wildness đ˛đ¤ď¸ 24. The Great Life Adventure đşď¸ 25. The Risk of Avoiding Risk đ˛ 26. Sin and Damnation đđĽ 27. Complete Oblivion đłď¸ 28. The Season of Philosophy đ
29. Scriptwriting đď¸đ 30. Bullseye Aim đŻ 31. The Uphill Climb â°ď¸ 32. Arena and Utility đď¸đ§ 33. Nothing IS enough 0ď¸âŁ 34. The Principle of Fun đ
35. Being Ready đ
đđđśââď¸ Kurt Bell is a passionate explorer, dedicated family man, and author of books such as "Going Alone" and "No More Looking Out For Number One." Born in America in 1964, he integrates Stoic philosophy into his physical and philosophical journeys. Today's venture on The Path of Wildness embodies this harmonious blend of exploration and mindful living. While Kurt savors these moments and looks forward to future adventures, he remains ever prepared for life's end, ready to depart without a single backwards glance.
đ Website: https://goingalone.org
âśď¸ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/softypapa
đ§ Email: dinnerbytheriver@gmail.com
đ Support my endeavors on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/softypapa
My name is Kurt Bell
Learn more about The Good Life in my book Going Alone
Be safe... But not too safe.