Yes!, to the old coot on the beach in Ireland. Don’t worry about him. He’s not daft. He’s grand. He’s not hammered from pints of the black stuff. He gets it. But it probably took until his beard turned white for the old fella to really take an Irish exit, toss the keys to the lorry and hop on his grandson’s motorbike for a spin in the surf. Could be a simple as that. Or maybe he decided to go looking for Riley’s wave on the coast near Lahinch. More like, he just got tired of waiting for the rain to stop. At least once to be a tool before he goes for his tea. Whatever, my man. Wherever, you just go. “Our day will come”.
I agree. Recently I've had this urge recently to throw my phone into the sea for this very reason. It's clearly damaging as much as it is helping and I just want it gone. In reality I'm making a methodical shift to less screen time. It's too early to say if the cure is that simple but initial results are promising. We live the lives we choose and I like your idea of choosing a different genre. There's no need to take life too seriously.
We've lost the art of intention. Without it it is so easy to fall into the cynicism and doom and gloom going on around us. Technology is great. It brings together groups like this that would never have met. It's brought me more poems to love more comedy bits to watch when I tumble into the depths of the world. But I've learned to use the technology intentionally. I have curated lists of poems and songs. I've unfollowed and blocked those that trigger me. In doing so, it's left space and time for me to be more intentional offline too. Yesterday I went outside and enjoyed playing and laughing for hours without having my phone anywhere near. All this to say. It's not one person or thing's fault. It's a combination. But I believe with intention and some curiosity we can get our silly lives back.
Damn, I needed this reminder today. I am definitely one to take things too seriously at times. Sometimes it's hard to simply play or goof around. But it's something I'm really working on. Letting myself have the freedom to let go and see what happens.
I feel blessed to have grown up in a place and time where the morals of the story were “be humble” “everyone deserves a fair go” and “don’t take yourself too seriously”.
How can my kids, and their generation, ever hope to understand how to not take themselves too seriously when they have grown up so distracted by their constant online lives that they barely know who they are?
I’ve said it before, they don’t know how to do nothing, how to be bored, how to sit and just BE.
Time spend pondering your own navel is so important, and largely underrated.
Rant over. Thanks Tyler, for this place and this space!!!
Wow! This needs a bit of thought. I think it’s technology. I think that it is no parent or grandparent at home before or after school. I think it is the parents who give their children everything (rather than requiring them to “earn” some things). It’s kids (for some reason) believing that they can tell the adults in their lives that they are untouchable (e.g. kids at school telling teachers that they cannot tell them what to do because their parents will retaliate). It’s adults who suddenly know more about what their kids should and shouldn’t be learning (rather than those who are trained educators). It is the ability for us all to see what we COULD have (rather than what we really need).
Somehow, a generation felt pressured to do better rather than to do enough AND be happy. It became all about making money. At least, that was my experience as a child (almost 60 now).
I have more thoughts and need more time to think. This was only a mess of thoughts that initially came to mind.
More to come (unless you tell me, “that’s enough”).
This one needs an ‘Amen’!
It is my fault.
Yes!, to the old coot on the beach in Ireland. Don’t worry about him. He’s not daft. He’s grand. He’s not hammered from pints of the black stuff. He gets it. But it probably took until his beard turned white for the old fella to really take an Irish exit, toss the keys to the lorry and hop on his grandson’s motorbike for a spin in the surf. Could be a simple as that. Or maybe he decided to go looking for Riley’s wave on the coast near Lahinch. More like, he just got tired of waiting for the rain to stop. At least once to be a tool before he goes for his tea. Whatever, my man. Wherever, you just go. “Our day will come”.
Should I take the blame
For rhythms put in my head
Nah! Only the pints
I agree. Recently I've had this urge recently to throw my phone into the sea for this very reason. It's clearly damaging as much as it is helping and I just want it gone. In reality I'm making a methodical shift to less screen time. It's too early to say if the cure is that simple but initial results are promising. We live the lives we choose and I like your idea of choosing a different genre. There's no need to take life too seriously.
We've lost the art of intention. Without it it is so easy to fall into the cynicism and doom and gloom going on around us. Technology is great. It brings together groups like this that would never have met. It's brought me more poems to love more comedy bits to watch when I tumble into the depths of the world. But I've learned to use the technology intentionally. I have curated lists of poems and songs. I've unfollowed and blocked those that trigger me. In doing so, it's left space and time for me to be more intentional offline too. Yesterday I went outside and enjoyed playing and laughing for hours without having my phone anywhere near. All this to say. It's not one person or thing's fault. It's a combination. But I believe with intention and some curiosity we can get our silly lives back.
Damn, I needed this reminder today. I am definitely one to take things too seriously at times. Sometimes it's hard to simply play or goof around. But it's something I'm really working on. Letting myself have the freedom to let go and see what happens.
I feel blessed to have grown up in a place and time where the morals of the story were “be humble” “everyone deserves a fair go” and “don’t take yourself too seriously”.
How can my kids, and their generation, ever hope to understand how to not take themselves too seriously when they have grown up so distracted by their constant online lives that they barely know who they are?
I’ve said it before, they don’t know how to do nothing, how to be bored, how to sit and just BE.
Time spend pondering your own navel is so important, and largely underrated.
Rant over. Thanks Tyler, for this place and this space!!!
Wow! This needs a bit of thought. I think it’s technology. I think that it is no parent or grandparent at home before or after school. I think it is the parents who give their children everything (rather than requiring them to “earn” some things). It’s kids (for some reason) believing that they can tell the adults in their lives that they are untouchable (e.g. kids at school telling teachers that they cannot tell them what to do because their parents will retaliate). It’s adults who suddenly know more about what their kids should and shouldn’t be learning (rather than those who are trained educators). It is the ability for us all to see what we COULD have (rather than what we really need).
Somehow, a generation felt pressured to do better rather than to do enough AND be happy. It became all about making money. At least, that was my experience as a child (almost 60 now).
I have more thoughts and need more time to think. This was only a mess of thoughts that initially came to mind.
More to come (unless you tell me, “that’s enough”).
YES! I love the idea of living life as if it were a comedy film. (Also, Manchester by the Sea DESTROYED me.)
Clapping 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼