I’ve been swimming daily now in the ocean for several weeks. My body has changed, growing stronger with the muscles I use to swim, skin becoming warm and dark despite the sunscreen. The pain in my joints is gone, which is a mystery. But, I’m definitely old and vulnerable. I discover this each time I go into the sea and dive below the big waves which roll over and above me like a churning white truck of roiling foam. Sometimes the biggest waves go above me smoothly, as I glide down by the sandy bottom, flying with eyes wide open, watching a big wave pass above me like a confused white and angry shoreward riot of foam. There are huge energies up there, just above my head, pulsing and grinding and driving with underwater noise and mad action. But sometimes, the big waves reach down to get me, like a giant white arm coming downward to grasp and drag me up and into the wild energies of foam. And when this happens I suddenly know my age, as I cannot resist well the pull, and if I try to fight being drug up, then the air in my lungs begins to spend more quickly, which is really scary; and so I just let myself go, falling up and into the big wave, which tumbles and washes me around for a few seconds before I find my way to the top, where my head comes out and I paw at the empty foam and my eyes go blind with the stinging saltwater and bright sun, and I sputter and gasp a little to breathe and struggle to refill my lungs, hoping another wave isn’t about to crash onto my idiot head.
Yep. That’s me getting old, struggling and flailing out there like a fool in the Huntington surf. It’s more dangerous now for me than when I was young and could swim and glide and wrestle these same waves with relative ease. Usually, after I get beaten down once by the surf, I’ll go back to the sand to sit and warm and bake a bit in the oblique afternoon rays. And while sitting, I watch the younger people playing in the waves, enjoying so deeply the sight of their time, their youthful time, their turn, literally under the sun. I think I’m learning my own place now, discovering both where I do, and where I do not belong. And I like it. I like knowing where I should be, and maybe more importantly, where I shouldn’t. I like finding my age and my place. And I really like growing old, despite the weakness and the pain in my body and the clear fading capability of my brain. There’s something delicious and deep in feeling one’s age, something more rich and profound even than the pleasures of the strength, potential and capacities of youth. Such a season now to relish. Such a time now to truly live.
☀️ THE GOOD LIFE CREED ☀️
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 Alone—hardcover recommended. Get a signed copy here. 📚✍️
🎯 OBJECTIVES: 1. Be Always Ready to Die ☠️ 2. Make Good Use of Time and Resources ⏳🛠️ 3. Develop Good and Sound Life Principles 📜🦉 4. Cultivate Good Emotional Reactions 😌💡 5. Perform Good Actions 🤝✅ 6. Recognize True Limits and Opportunity 🚪🔍 7. One Thing Slowly 🐢🧘♂️
8. Maintain Balance ⚖️
📜 PRINCIPLES: 1. Principle of War ⚔️ 2. Principle of Reason 🧠 3. Homunculus 👤 4. Anchorhold ⚓ 5. Home of Good and Evil 😇😈 6. Principle of Purpose 🎯 7. Atomic Principle ⚛️ 8. Principle of Nature 🌳 9. The Pirate Ride 🏴☠️ 10. Principle of Maturity 🌱➡️🌳 11. Social Principle 🤝
12. Principle of Family 👨👩👧 13. Public Speaking 🗣️ 14. Temperance 🍷➡️💧 15. Life Will Not Go Well ⛈️ 16. The Horror Show 🎭😱 17. That Which Must Be Borne 🎒 18. The Feast of Offal 🗑️🍽️ 19. Distraction 📵 20. Agency and The Great Indifference ⚙️🌌 21. The Best Seat in the House 🛋️ 22. The Restless Man 👣 23. The Path of Wildness 🌲🛤️ 24. The Great Life Adventure 🗺️ 25. The Risk of Avoiding Risk 🎲 26. Sin and Damnation 😈🔥 27. Complete Oblivion 🕳️ 28. The Season of Philosophy 📚
29. Scriptwriting 🖋️📜 30. Bullseye Aim 🎯 31. The Uphill Climb ⛰️ 32. Arena and Utility 🏟️🔧 33. Nothing IS enough 0️⃣ 34. The Principle of Fun 🎉
35. Being Ready 🚀
🌄📚🚶♂️ 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.
🌐 Website: https://goingalone.org
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/softypapa
📧 Email: dinnerbytheriver@gmail.com
👍 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.
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