43 replies to this topic

[degrae]

I am a high school drop out, I live in the world's smallest house and work every minute I can. I feel like I'm barely getting by, but I look around and I have so much going on. I'm wondering how life could be any better, I think that if I tune out the waves of negative input, things will be just life, and that will be good enough.
This post is afraid of crooked politicians, this post wonders who is in a satisfying relationship. This post knows that the best bands that ever played a stage are separated, and working in cubicles, wondering what might have happened.
Yep, I wonder about religion, and the intelligence involved whenever one person controls another person without their knowledge. This post doubts the value of money, and the legitimacy of credit. I doubt that your public record reflects how you are going to behave.
Every time you go and speak with someone, you are watching to see if they are on your level. Alot of people have quit relating because their past efforts have gotten them nowhere, I let fear control alot of my daily interactions, if you are super honest, you may see that you do too.
To the point, your daily expectations either are met, or you go to sleep dissapointed with your progress. You needed love and got none. You wanted respect, and that which existed was not shown. You needed service and got snubbed. Speak to this.
If you know yourself really well, you will have a great advantage on those that are trying. Those that are trying are learning about themselves and some are honest in the process. Do you hate your neighborhood? Do you hate the scene? Do you have options before you or walls? What's your favorite song or why don't you have one? This thread is called The Truth.

[unluckycharm]

"you can't handle the truth!"

[dharma_bum]

"life's a bitch and then ya die." the truth hurts.

[degrae]

Unluckycharm may know, that before most people become politicians, they become lawyers. Lawyers earn their entire living by moving other peoples earnings around through debate and connections. These are the people that we elevate into the greatest power, people who, in general have never had to teach or save lives or farm, or provide anything tangible to get paid. !!!! This is what was happening in the 12 through 1600's with the inquisitions, only people in the Catholics Club had any sway, today, it's the lawyer network. What's next?

[unluckycharm]

I was dared to reply to this thread last night under the influence of alcohol, but I thought hmmm might not be such a good idea! The truth to the truth is that you can walk down many paths and sometimes find the brother, the cousin, the in-law, or the house-dog of Truth, and yet Truth is ever elusive. Occasionally you'll see the back of Truth's neck or glimpse his face. Sometime he will be staring staight into your eyes. Will you recognize him? Maybe.

I once had a professor in college who relayed a story about 4 scientists with their magnifying glasses investigating an elephant--one looked at the feet, one the tail, one the left side, one the eyes. They all described something different but in reality were looking at the same thing. The point being that the Truth many times has different sides and aspects. That stuck with me, so I try to be humble in my perspective.

*strokes imaginary goatee*

True, true about lawyers--in a sense. But you have to also realize that real power lies within yourself, within the individual.

[thebiggameover]

the truth is dharma_bum needs to tone down that sig....

[Kristopher]

Alot of people have quit relating because their past efforts have gotten them nowhere

I remember being young and openly passionate about music, but after awhile I got tired of never clicking with anybody and just gave up. I started to assume any new person I was talking to wouldn't "get it" and there wasn't much point to talking about music. To this day I can't talk about music much past "I really like this" etc.

As far as "the scene".... I played a show at the Firehouse the other night. First time there. Loved the people, the stage, the open air, everything. Made me realize I don't know anything about "the scene", but I'd like to. It seems like there are those who are willing to put 100% out there on stage and not worry about making a verse/chorus/verse structured song.

I am a 30 year old high school graduate making almost $18 an hour doing stuff that's not difficult for me. I feel like I've got it easy. My job will pay for my college but I'm not too into what I'm doing at work so I'm dragging my feet. I know I shouldn't be, that I should be making babies, buying a house and proposing marriage, all that great stuff. I don't know.

Anyway... the truth. I read/listen to a lot of Zen Buddhist stuff, and it's got more than its fair share of truth in it IMHO. It's helped me.

[degrae]

So like think of all your ratings. Your wealth, your charm. Think about your work and has anybody ever soaked it in? If you teach stuff, do people learn it? Good Teacher. If you sell stuff do people buy it? Good at sales. If you are a professor do people argue with your motivation? Good professor!
So here is this, we are made through marketing and politics to believe that any flaw we find in ourselves should keep us from pressing forward with our dreams. Because in the past, people have maintained an adversarial (sp) attitude toward all other people, all the better if they can put a label on it.
If you value personal freedom, use it. Don't give your identity to anyone that does not deserve it. Don't work under conditions you feel are below your agreement with your employer.
Remind every cop, judge, politician, lawyer, garbage man, city council woman, hoa board member, that they work for you, and in order to meet your standards, they must earn the checks you write.
The TRUTH Dammit!!!! What exactly izzit, ya do here? Do you mow the lawn? Are you in public relations?
Are you an agnostic or an athiest? What's the best run country in the world?
I have a pal at work that just hit the seven year itch with his wife. He asked her, is it the seven year itch? Big time, in more ways than one she said. She broke aprt just because he called it. Honesty. They might not make it, but thinking about all the angles made his week a little better.
I want stories, I want real true art. I want the kind of jokes that only life can hand you. Do you compare yourself to Robert DeNiro and have not yet hired yourself an "Agent"?
Do you think you should solar panel your house and live in the woods, but can't because your boyfriends family is running your life? Get on it now.
I want a freakin' sailboat. Howm I gonna do that?

[degrae]

Alot of people have quit relating because their past efforts have gotten them nowhere

I remember being young and openly passionate about music, but after awhile I got tired of never clicking with anybody and just gave up. I started to assume any new person I was talking to wouldn't "get it" and there wasn't much point to talking about music. To this day I can't talk about music much past "I really like this" etc.

As far as "the scene".... I played a show at the Firehouse the other night. First time there. Loved the people, the stage, the open air, everything. Made me realize I don't know anything about "the scene", but I'd like to. It seems like there are those who are willing to put 100% out there on stage and not worry about making a verse/chorus/verse structured song.

I am a 30 year old high school graduate making almost $18 an hour doing stuff that's not difficult for me. I feel like I've got it easy. My job will pay for my college but I'm not too into what I'm doing at work so I'm dragging my feet. I know I shouldn't be, that I should be making babies, buying a house and proposing marriage, all that great stuff. I don't know.

Anyway... the truth. I read/listen to a lot of Zen Buddhist stuff, and it's got more than its fair share of truth in it IMHO. It's helped me.

The trouble here is doing stuff that is not difficult makes you feel dead. You drink a little coffee to be alert and cogniscent, only to go home realizing you didn't need to be cogniscent to trap through the motions that you would trap through if you were braindead. I do that for a living at 16.72 an hour. It's plenty and it's not enough because their is no reward in doing nothing and getting by. We devote 9 to 12 HOURS a day to crap we don't care about, thinking that we need to pay our bills, which we do, and wonder where the end is. I could die from this and not care a squat. If I keep living like this I'm just sucking air. If you took the same 9 to 12 hours and sculpted, or grew food in your front yard, or teach kids how to get into books, shit, 9 to 12 hours of songwriting, per day, might net you the worlds greatest song after a month or two. Can't do it. To many "responsibilities" too many judgements of others, levied by people that don't actually care enough about your life to call you or see where your head is at for years. I'm gonna pay my bills, it will kill me dead of boredom, but I'm a good man, and I will not fail.

[raubhimself]

The trouble here is doing stuff that is not difficult makes you feel dead.

I think this is an over generalization. When it comes to how people work, there are many truths. The Western ideal is in general hard work, giving your all = happiness and success. The Eastern ideal is more like happiness = taking care in your work. Something like that.

Not everyone needs to get a PhD. Not everyone needs to graduate college. Not everyone needs to graduate high school. Not everyone needs to be making big bucks, and not everyone needs to work hard. But everyone needs to be responsible for themselves in the end.

To me work is work no matter what. If I'm getting paid to do something I'm probably not going to enjoy it. It's the time outside of work that makes life good. Grilling some chicken after work, sipping a beer, and watching the sunset. Sitting down with my soldering iron and creating something new for me pedal board. Practicing guitar. These are all things I like to do but most of my day is taken up by work. I want sub-40 hour work weeks. The American public doesn't appreciate time with life. We must work hard, and give our all to be happy. But in Europe, they can appreciate the importance of sitting down with your family for a nice meal. Not on holidays, not monthly, not weekly, but daily. Other countries understand the importance of vacation. They understand the importance of finding happiness outside of work and transferring that happiness back into work, rather than making work your happy place and life outside of work where you juggle every other responsibility. At work I think about every other thing I could be doing to make myself happier than being at work. At home I think about work and how it has impaired my ability to find happiness.

Not everyone needs this laissez-faire lifestyle, but I think more people need it than need the 40+ hour, arrive early, stay late, work from home model that many people currently employ.

I like this thread. There's a lot of poetic bullshittery but it's all worth considering for a moment.

[Jacki O.]

this thread is BLOWING MY MIND


i want solar panels on my house but i am too lazy/cheap to do anything about it. i just daydream.

[Coward Crutch]

CAN'T HEAT YOUR WATER WITH DAYDREAMS JACKIE

[chadk]

so when will your book come out? the truth is, it will sell millions

[Kristopher]

Remind every cop, judge, politician, lawyer, garbage man, city council woman, hoa board member, that they work for you, and in order to meet your standards, they must earn the checks you write.

I bet that they hear that a lot. Like probably every day. "I hope you know that I pay your salary! I feed your kids!" But what happens when the people saying that steal cars, assault people, or whatever? The employee (the cop) takes the boss (suspect/criminal) to jail. Kind of a strange relationship that only exists because the majority of the population allows it to exist (even if it's the minority of the population that actually makes the rules).

I also think that telling public servants that you're the boss dehumanizes you in their eyes. Before you said anything, you're just a stranger. After you give them your spiel, you're an asshole and should be avoided at all costs. However, if you say something like "hey man, thanks for doing what you do, what do you think about this idea", something more positive might happen. Not that all public servants deserve that sort of respect, but they all started out as human and might still be one.

As far as some of the other stuff said, I think it all comes down to figuring out why we think we're here and what we think is worth doing before we die. I personally don't care about sports, politics, or cleaning my apartment. All that stuff is for other people. I appreciate the passion that people bring to that stuff, but I just can't get into it, and I think that's okay too. I like writing songs, rocking out on loudly my bass, sleeping, and eating good food. Alcohol is nice. Sex is nice. Going out to where there's only trees and no buildings is nice, especially at night.

When it comes down to it, I don't think it's necessary to constantly be afraid of things that I can't control, whether it's my identity being stolen or the government snooping into my life. I'm against the idea of both, and I'll do what I can to prevent them, but to worry about it all the time is a waste.

[degrae]

so when will your book come out? the truth is, it will sell millions

Since the thread is The Truth, I'm thinking I might have me a book in 5 years. I want to combine historical facts with the memoirs of the terminally ill. Solar Panels on the house, Alcohol and sex.
I was on the radio last night, got snagged on KTAR when I guy was asking what good a gun buyback was if it only netted 75 guns and probably not from gangbangers. I told the conservative audience the "good" came from guns people have lying around their house being destroyed, since they don't value them more than a $50 Basha's gift certificate. I mean, if a gun is laying their that nobody wants, the only thing it can be used for is to accidentaly or purposefully injure/kill some one. I told 'em if you enjoy owning a gun you should really be all over it and not apathetic.
Chad how bout a few tasty illustrations?