Back when I was a fledgling student at Iowa Wesleyan College, now somehow a University, and just dipping my toes in philosophy classes, I formulated a notion that a starving man can die happy. I tried that little gem out on Marj that engendered a kind of knowing parental thought bubble: "I raised an idiot, and don't tell the neighbors". And of course, who could blame her. While she may not have exactly endured the Depression, its economic realities were certainly imbued upon her. To her last shopping trip to the grocery store I imagine she bought more tomato soup to go with the scores of others already neatly stacked in the cupboard.
Let me stop myself right there and provide some ancillary facts to that ridiculous statement. here I am, a pampered son in a middle class family, attending college on my Dad's dime, my own car full of free gas from his business, keeping up with the latest hippie fashion trend, pontificating on the emotional gratification of starvation. I'm surprised she didn't slap me, cancel my tuition. and send me to Uncle Ed's farm with a hearty , "He's all yours, starve him if you want." She didn't of course, since she was always fascinated by my fascination with ideas. But she did disagree, resoundingly.
I still stand by that after all these years and would defend its premise to my neighbors, here at Death Valley, even if I think I'd get the same response. I guess its the old philosopher in me - playing Plato is fun. And while the old adage, money can't buy happiness, may not ring true with me, the lack of it can sure bring misery.
Starvation itself doesn't rank very high in the U.S. Sure, if you get lost in the Mojave Desert your gonna wish you had brought more provisions and if you have one of those parents that keep you chained in the basement, that's a very real possibility too. But for the most part the food banks, restaurant dumpsters, churches and government programs will provide you with enough to keep going. Again, the problem isn't a lack of food, but rather a lack of money.
Last week I mentioned something about everything revolves around money. The getting, the keeping, the doling out for services, or the mere pleasure of flaunting it. Everything has a value, and everything has a price. Everything is for sale and nothing is free. Well, perhaps that's not exactly right, but I'll get back to that in a second.
I'm no socialist and defend our monetary/economic system. While I approve of some socialist programs like Social Security, Medicare and most other government-created entities, and think we could use a modified cradle-to-grave healthcare system, I think our economic platform is just fine. Work to make money to pay for cable TV works well with me. How else are we going to get HBO and another season of Westworld? It ain't free. Besides, isn't that what makes us happy?
Philosophy, it seems to me, is an upper crust endeavor. It doesn't get its hands dirty. Most philosophers have been of the aristocracy - far above the struggling starving wretches who grapple with money issues every day. Not all, but most. I'm sure you are all raising your hands because you remember that Epictetus was a born slave and Diogenes was a hobo. That is true. But name others. You can't. Wealth and good circumstance creates philosophers. So we have the happy and contented describing the poor and unfortunate. Even Karl Marx, the spokesman for the unwashed working masses, got his wealth from daddy and even more when he married into the noble class. And then we have 20 year-old Mike Blythe and a starving man can die happy, with $50 bucks in his pocket and a car full of gas to whisk him down to Blackie's for a few beers and a burger and fries.
Logically, I am correct. A starving man can die happy. Dr. Khan, that wonderful logician at IWC would tell us, the dozen or so brave souls to sign up for his classes, to examine the statement and tear it apart. What Marj didn't know was that the sentence itself contains a MacGuffin. How one dies is irrelevant. You just as easily can substitute starving for any other kind of demise. Auto accident, combat soldier, nursing home resident, opioid victim, you name it. The beauty of it is that it doesn't rely on the death or circumstances as much as it relies on the a well-being of the victim. If we are happy, then we can die happy. I understand it now more than I did when I was 20. Does it take money to die happy? Not necessarily, but it helps.
As for happiness, I can't tell you how to get it. Seems for myself I don't really know until I've looked back. And, of course, it's different for everyone. What I do know, and can feel sufficiently convinced to tell you is you need a good foundation for it, when it comes - if it comes.
Firstly, you need the freedom to choose. In life we do our best or we do our damage when we have made the choices for ourselves. We need freedom and the independence to make our way. Secondly we need to love and be loved. Its usually a person of some sort, but I suppose it could also be a 10 week dog named Whizbang. To be invested and have feelings of love, ah, that's amore. Queue Dean Martin. We also need to have fun. Life only works in an atmosphere where simple joy can be had with our endeavors. I suppose others will say you have to be able to do others things, too, in order to be happy, and I suppose if I thought harder I may be able to come up with more, but for our purposes today, a starving man can die happy, this short list will do. (Tip of the hat to Bill.)
Sharp eyed readers will note that these principles are not mine, oh Lordy no. For 30 years I practiced Reality Therapy to students and clients at the Mary. I was a proponent of it and believed wholeheartedly in it as well. Any of the above is out of whack and your going to be less happy. All four out of balance and you've got a full-on major emotional crisis.
Let's recap. A starving man or woman (or anyone dying of any reason) can die happy if they have checked the boxes on these things. Herb, your college dime provided a great education. It's still giving. Thanks.
Back to free things for just one moment. Some say libraries are free, but you pay taxes to keep them going. Churches are free, but that collection plate won't fill itself and if you officially join they'll send a smiling Elder with hefty tithe suggestions. After all, salvation isn't cheap. Especially the eternal kind.
Digital photography is free, kind of. Dunkin Donut doughnut holes are free on National Donut Day. You can get a small cup of cider at Tanner's Orchard in the Fall. Let's face it, not much is free in this world. I can think of one thing: this blog, Existing In BFE. Marj, ha ha, I was right all along.
Let me stop myself right there and provide some ancillary facts to that ridiculous statement. here I am, a pampered son in a middle class family, attending college on my Dad's dime, my own car full of free gas from his business, keeping up with the latest hippie fashion trend, pontificating on the emotional gratification of starvation. I'm surprised she didn't slap me, cancel my tuition. and send me to Uncle Ed's farm with a hearty , "He's all yours, starve him if you want." She didn't of course, since she was always fascinated by my fascination with ideas. But she did disagree, resoundingly.
I still stand by that after all these years and would defend its premise to my neighbors, here at Death Valley, even if I think I'd get the same response. I guess its the old philosopher in me - playing Plato is fun. And while the old adage, money can't buy happiness, may not ring true with me, the lack of it can sure bring misery.
Starvation itself doesn't rank very high in the U.S. Sure, if you get lost in the Mojave Desert your gonna wish you had brought more provisions and if you have one of those parents that keep you chained in the basement, that's a very real possibility too. But for the most part the food banks, restaurant dumpsters, churches and government programs will provide you with enough to keep going. Again, the problem isn't a lack of food, but rather a lack of money.
Last week I mentioned something about everything revolves around money. The getting, the keeping, the doling out for services, or the mere pleasure of flaunting it. Everything has a value, and everything has a price. Everything is for sale and nothing is free. Well, perhaps that's not exactly right, but I'll get back to that in a second.
I'm no socialist and defend our monetary/economic system. While I approve of some socialist programs like Social Security, Medicare and most other government-created entities, and think we could use a modified cradle-to-grave healthcare system, I think our economic platform is just fine. Work to make money to pay for cable TV works well with me. How else are we going to get HBO and another season of Westworld? It ain't free. Besides, isn't that what makes us happy?
Philosophy, it seems to me, is an upper crust endeavor. It doesn't get its hands dirty. Most philosophers have been of the aristocracy - far above the struggling starving wretches who grapple with money issues every day. Not all, but most. I'm sure you are all raising your hands because you remember that Epictetus was a born slave and Diogenes was a hobo. That is true. But name others. You can't. Wealth and good circumstance creates philosophers. So we have the happy and contented describing the poor and unfortunate. Even Karl Marx, the spokesman for the unwashed working masses, got his wealth from daddy and even more when he married into the noble class. And then we have 20 year-old Mike Blythe and a starving man can die happy, with $50 bucks in his pocket and a car full of gas to whisk him down to Blackie's for a few beers and a burger and fries.
Logically, I am correct. A starving man can die happy. Dr. Khan, that wonderful logician at IWC would tell us, the dozen or so brave souls to sign up for his classes, to examine the statement and tear it apart. What Marj didn't know was that the sentence itself contains a MacGuffin. How one dies is irrelevant. You just as easily can substitute starving for any other kind of demise. Auto accident, combat soldier, nursing home resident, opioid victim, you name it. The beauty of it is that it doesn't rely on the death or circumstances as much as it relies on the a well-being of the victim. If we are happy, then we can die happy. I understand it now more than I did when I was 20. Does it take money to die happy? Not necessarily, but it helps.
As for happiness, I can't tell you how to get it. Seems for myself I don't really know until I've looked back. And, of course, it's different for everyone. What I do know, and can feel sufficiently convinced to tell you is you need a good foundation for it, when it comes - if it comes.
Firstly, you need the freedom to choose. In life we do our best or we do our damage when we have made the choices for ourselves. We need freedom and the independence to make our way. Secondly we need to love and be loved. Its usually a person of some sort, but I suppose it could also be a 10 week dog named Whizbang. To be invested and have feelings of love, ah, that's amore. Queue Dean Martin. We also need to have fun. Life only works in an atmosphere where simple joy can be had with our endeavors. I suppose others will say you have to be able to do others things, too, in order to be happy, and I suppose if I thought harder I may be able to come up with more, but for our purposes today, a starving man can die happy, this short list will do. (Tip of the hat to Bill.)
Sharp eyed readers will note that these principles are not mine, oh Lordy no. For 30 years I practiced Reality Therapy to students and clients at the Mary. I was a proponent of it and believed wholeheartedly in it as well. Any of the above is out of whack and your going to be less happy. All four out of balance and you've got a full-on major emotional crisis.
Let's recap. A starving man or woman (or anyone dying of any reason) can die happy if they have checked the boxes on these things. Herb, your college dime provided a great education. It's still giving. Thanks.
Back to free things for just one moment. Some say libraries are free, but you pay taxes to keep them going. Churches are free, but that collection plate won't fill itself and if you officially join they'll send a smiling Elder with hefty tithe suggestions. After all, salvation isn't cheap. Especially the eternal kind.
Digital photography is free, kind of. Dunkin Donut doughnut holes are free on National Donut Day. You can get a small cup of cider at Tanner's Orchard in the Fall. Let's face it, not much is free in this world. I can think of one thing: this blog, Existing In BFE. Marj, ha ha, I was right all along.
We are happy or not happy because we choose to be. We can look at those with more than us and be unhappy and jealous. We can look at those with less and recall that but for the grace of god (or luck) that would be me. There will always be someone with more who is miserable and someone with less who is happier than me. It is the choice they make. The view of the world they create for themselves makes it so. Watch the doughnut not the hole.
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