It was 116 degrees at Siberia ghost town yesterday. A few years back, and Iâd have felt a longing to be out there. No more... I donât want to go. Thinking of that place now is like remembering the table at a restaurant where weâve just departed; a good meal, a satisfying experience, but thereâs no desire to return to sit among the dirty dishes and the ruins of our finished meal. Thereâs no looking back. And so itâs been with every chapter of my life with Yumiko, no looking back and no longing for what once was. That said, returning to America ten years ago, and now, our soon return to Japan, these do feel a little like going backâbut they are not. This is not going back. Weâve simply changed too much to ever really go back. Japan is only suitable now because Yumiko, Emily and I have become new people after a decade away. America changed us. And now weâre ready again for a new and different life in Japan. Weâre ready now to return.
Maybe someday Iâll be ready again to return to Siberia ghost town during mid-summer? Maybe when Iâm seventy-years old, ten years from nowâif I make it that farâIâll come back to visit the United States and then drive alone out there to Siberia in August, in order to sit in my car with one window rolled down and the deadly heat pouring in. And Iâll look out and over the railroad tracks to the north, to the low Bristol Mountains out there where the Indifference haunts, and Iâll remember the decade of my fifties, my last strong decade, and the time when I did so often go alone to the desert to search, and how I eventually found, and then I came back, I came home, I FOUND home,âand then I no longer needed anything more out there to find.
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.