Image via WikipediaThe Care And Feeding of a Self-Respecting Human Life
Life happens. And so does shit.
Self-respecting human life, however, requires personal accountability. In order to live a life that is distinguishable from that of a stoned hippie, a mindless liberal, or a goat, one must embrace personal accountability.
Moreover, one must periodically take stock of the trajectory of one's life to fulfill the requirements of membership in the community of self-respecting humanity. Taking stock in the last year of each decade of life is a reasonable schedule for a personal census.
- Herewith a sample strategy for personal census-taking:
- Age 9
- - Hmm ... Maybe there is more to life than just obeying Mom and Dad; or trying to out-fox them? I wonder what being an adult is all about?
- Age 19
- - Oops ... People expect me to make decisions about my own life. What kind of adulthood is available to me? What kind of life will suit me for the long term? What is reasonable to aspire to? Is there more to life than getting laid?
- Age 29
- - (a) I'm still living with Mom and Dad. Do I enjoy this no-account life of a fugitive from adulthood?
- - (b) I'm making an effort to embrace adulthood. What more can I do?
- Age 39
- - (a) I've been an adult for half my life to date. Have I fully embraced personal-accountability yet?
- - (b) No? Do I intend to continue living the life of a no-account?
- Age 49
- - Looking back on the past half-century, what are my prospects for the next? This is the last good chance to shape up, or ship out to mid-life crisis. Which will it be?
- Age 59
- - Have I done most of what I planned for my career? Maybe it's time to consider retirement?
- Age 69
- - How is retirement shaping up? Is anything worth tweaking?
- Age 79
- - Is that all there is? Time to stop kicking that inconvenient truth down the road.
- Age 89
- - Jello, again? Jello?
- Age 99
- - Has anybody seen my head? I can't find my head ...
Post 1,573 Maintaining Personal Accountability
From Bob Hope, approximately...
ReplyDeleteAt 70, you forget to zip up.
At 80, you forget to zip down.
I'll try to remember to zip up, starting next year.
ReplyDelete