You Gotta Choose

This is story 2 of 2 which were originally written in June of 2017 as assignments at the conclusion of the previous meeting of a local writers group I had attended for a year or so. This time our Fearless Leader – as she became affectionately referred to by me – challenged our small group to consider, in poetry and in prose, our philosophy of life.

Well, the mystery I posed in my last writing (Before I Go) has been solved. No question in my mind, Fearless Leader is indeed a psychologist who likes to dabble in writing. How do I know, you ask? Our latest assignment is to write about our Philosophy of Life. Seriously? Next she will be asking, “So how does that make you feel?”

There were still a few minutes left in last week’s session, I mean meeting, so she asked us to jot down the first thoughts that came to mind regarding our philosophy of life. Strange as it might seem, the first thing that came to my mind was the song: It’s a Small World (After All) written in the early sixties by the Sherman brothers at the request of Walt Disney. With the song still playing in the background, among the other things that came to mind were: eat dessert first, always wear clean underwear, and my dad’s golden rule: do as I say, not as I do. Uh, sorry, almost forgot, live like you were dying and if tomorrow never comes.

While all of these are probably helpful words to live by, none of them really describe my philosophy of life. Then again my philosophy of life has never been as intellectually complex as those of Wilhelm Dilthey, Henri-Louis  Bergson, or Pierre Hadot. As the above subtitles suggests, my philosophy of life is a tad more simplistic in all respects.

(Disclaimer.) I am well aware of the three subjects that should never be discussed in public: sex, religion, and politics. And let’s not forget money, which makes four. Certainly a discussion of one’s philosophy of life could very easily enter the realm of one or more of the above topics. As such, what follows may raise an eyebrow or two, it might even overload the Twitter servers, and could very easily cause the Internet to crash.

That said, here goes. Back in the eighties and nineties I worked with a German Baptist. In a company who at the time had a very strict dress code, he was the only man I knew, in all of the corporate offices, who didn’t wear a tie. I learned from a co-worker early on that such adornments went against his religion. It was said that he had been skipped over for a promotion or two and was always relegated to an out-of-the-way office. I always admired him for his convictions. As time went on, we became good friends and shared many stimulating conversations.

While I don’t think that we ever discussed religion per se, I do recall a conversation we had one day when I admitted that I was not particularly religious. To which he replied, “I would have never guessed that about you.” He went on to explain why he had always assumed that I was religious. I took his words as a great compliment. They had after all captured the essence of my philosophy of life in a nut shell.

(Subtitle # 1 – No Veggies Needed) I have never needed a carrot to encourage me to do the right thing. I have likewise never needed the threat of Brussel sprouts to discourage me from making the wrong choice. I have never needed reminded to be a good person. And I'd like to think that I have always respected my neighbor, his wife, and his dog.

Whether there is a supreme being or an all seeing eye, I cannot say. Was there ever a Big Bang? Or a Primordial Soup? Is there a Heaven? Does Hell really exist? Regardless the answers to these ponderables of all ponderables, I truly believe that everything and everyone is interconnected. Earth, air, water, and fire. The birds and the bees. The plants and the animals. Humankind of all biological and sociological origins. We all need each other. I guess that is my butterfly effect.

Will I continue on in some manner after I die? No one can say with absolute certainty. Will we all meet again in some form, lifelike or otherwise? Some of the greatest minds that have ever lived have only managed to provide suppositions. To me, the answers to these question and the answers to so many more unanswerable questions are unimportant. I guess that means I live in the here and now, without consideration for why am I here or what happens next.

I understand the difference between right and wrong and I try my best to do right by others. Except for the occasional acts of “pest control,” I have spent a lifetime treating all things, breathing and otherwise, as if everything and everyone was dependent upon my doing so. Most of the time I recycle and I try not to litter. I am careful not to waste water and I always return the shopping cart to the designated area. And if I had a dog I would make sure he didn’t tinkle on the neighbor’s flowers.

(Subtitle # 2 – It’s Not the Dog’s Fault) Each and every one of us is responsible for our own actions. Something I believe with all my heart. Blame it on my analytical slant, but for me life has always been this black and white. Yes, some of us had a difficult childhood. Yes, some of us were bullied at some point in our life. And there are those of us who were lied to, cheated on, and far worse.

That said, we should never blame the dog if something isn’t done on time, or done right. We cannot blame our dad, a co-worker, or an authority figure for our rage. We absolutely cannot hold others responsible for the crimes that we commit. We must always consider ourselves accountable for what we do, regardless the circumstances. And life should never be about carrots or Brussels sprouts, Heaven or Hell, a reward or a punishment. Life should be about doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do.

I know that I am a good person. And I know that I am hopelessly flawed. I hope that I have touched the lives of others in positive ways. I hope that someone will think of me, with a smile on their face, from time to time, when I am gone. Beyond that there is little more that I know and little more that I can hope for.

In closing, for those who are offended by my remarks, I apologize. And to those who were hoping that I might answer a litany of existential questions, sorry about that. Just remember to eat dessert first or not. Always wear clean underwear or not. And follow a golden rule, preferably not my dad's. Also, making the right choices should never be about carrots and Brussel sprouts. Blaming the dog is just plain wrong. And whatever you do or don’t do, live a life that you can look upon with pride – even if no one else does.