It's my first blog ever, so I might as well start at the top. I have discovered the meaning of life. People may say that from time to time, but this is for real. Ready? The meaning of life is ...... chores. That's right, boys and girls. After reading a zillion books, spending lots and lots of hours in church and in prayer, it came to me as plain as enlightenment ... the answer is .... chores.
And the thing is I can't find a shred of evidence to contradict this. Mother Teresa? A saint without doubt. But what did her day to day life consist of? chores.
There is also another way to say this that I've seen on some T-shirts lately .... Do Your Job. This is probably better than "chores" but I didn't conceive it that way.
The chores idea holds up at work for sure .... after all, work is getting paid to do chores. Then you come home .... feed the cats, change the litter, fix a meal, clean it up, cut the grass, clean the gutters, vacuum, dust, scrub the tub. Make sure the bills get paid, remember important birthdays, go to church, run errands. The list goes on and on. It is also true for being in a band, or sports, or rebuilding cars or any other hobby.
Now, there are certainly activities that are not chores. Watching TV, playing video games, sex, talking on the phone, shooting pool, but these are not the meaning of life .... athough they COULD be the focus of a meaningless life.
Now, here's the thing. The crux of the matter, you might say. If you do your chores, and you do them with the best attitude you can muster, and you are conscientious about it, and if your motive is (as often as possible) love, then you get to have these incredible moments. The best example I can give is being in a band. You spend literally years and years and countless hours developing your vocabulary (technique), and you go through a number of bands with people coming and going and never really feeling much satisfaction, and never getting much money or recognition - but getting loads of negative shit. But then, one day (usually a night, actually) it all comes together, you lock up with these other people, and the music takes you somewhere ELSE. There is nothing like it on earth. And you realize that it was worth the wait ... it was worth all the effort. And you happily spend significant time working to get to that spot again. Occassionally, the audience gets there at the same time you do. Nothing better.
Another version of the crux .... the exact same thing happens in relationships. It is vital that you do your chores and do them with love and almost ALL of your time has to be spent doing that. But then you get to have those moments with your wife and kids and pets .... even your yard for God's sake.
I'm 54 years old and I spent a really long time feeling shat upon because it seemed like all I ever did was chores. I spent all my wishes wishing for time to do nothing. I was a boob. Now that I know what I know, I still don't always like it .... but man, I do it. Chores are me. I are chores. You'll have to excuse me now. The meaning of life is calling me to go love it.
And the thing is I can't find a shred of evidence to contradict this. Mother Teresa? A saint without doubt. But what did her day to day life consist of? chores.
There is also another way to say this that I've seen on some T-shirts lately .... Do Your Job. This is probably better than "chores" but I didn't conceive it that way.
The chores idea holds up at work for sure .... after all, work is getting paid to do chores. Then you come home .... feed the cats, change the litter, fix a meal, clean it up, cut the grass, clean the gutters, vacuum, dust, scrub the tub. Make sure the bills get paid, remember important birthdays, go to church, run errands. The list goes on and on. It is also true for being in a band, or sports, or rebuilding cars or any other hobby.
Now, there are certainly activities that are not chores. Watching TV, playing video games, sex, talking on the phone, shooting pool, but these are not the meaning of life .... athough they COULD be the focus of a meaningless life.
Now, here's the thing. The crux of the matter, you might say. If you do your chores, and you do them with the best attitude you can muster, and you are conscientious about it, and if your motive is (as often as possible) love, then you get to have these incredible moments. The best example I can give is being in a band. You spend literally years and years and countless hours developing your vocabulary (technique), and you go through a number of bands with people coming and going and never really feeling much satisfaction, and never getting much money or recognition - but getting loads of negative shit. But then, one day (usually a night, actually) it all comes together, you lock up with these other people, and the music takes you somewhere ELSE. There is nothing like it on earth. And you realize that it was worth the wait ... it was worth all the effort. And you happily spend significant time working to get to that spot again. Occassionally, the audience gets there at the same time you do. Nothing better.
Another version of the crux .... the exact same thing happens in relationships. It is vital that you do your chores and do them with love and almost ALL of your time has to be spent doing that. But then you get to have those moments with your wife and kids and pets .... even your yard for God's sake.
I'm 54 years old and I spent a really long time feeling shat upon because it seemed like all I ever did was chores. I spent all my wishes wishing for time to do nothing. I was a boob. Now that I know what I know, I still don't always like it .... but man, I do it. Chores are me. I are chores. You'll have to excuse me now. The meaning of life is calling me to go love it.
posted by goostermon at 7:52 AM
9 comments
