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I'm an asshole.
Apparently I can be condescending as Hell, and I bitch a lot.
Apparently I can also be funny and insightful, and certain people appreciate my genius, so things balance out...?
'Conceited'. That goes on the list. According to some I'm also pretentious, but no, I don't pretend. I'll admit to lack of knowledge where appropriate -- and that right there, being able to admit you don't know, being willing to learn, is the key to gaining knowledge. If you think you know everything, you cannot learn.
No one can ever know everything. To some it may seem as though I think I know everything, just because I have paid attention to a lot of things over the years, and I'm not afraid to voice my opinion.
'Opinionated'. There's another one. Maybe I do think I know better in a lot of cases, and everyone would be better off if they listened to me. You know what? Maybe I'm right, and everyone needs to fucking listen. In that case I have a few nuggets...
- Don't talk on a cellphone while driving. If it rings, don't answer unless you're on a highway with very little traffic around you (or some similar low-pressure situation) -- and even then, keep it short. If you have hands-free, that's a different story, but you still have to remember that your most important task is DRIVING. Pay ATTENTION.
- Don't get caught up in politics. In the United States of America at least, it's been proven that whomever has been chosen by the elite will win the Presidency. Even the very few we have to choose among have been preselected, and if by some chance the 'wrong' one gets through 'they' can still take measures... 3 letters: JFK.
- Don't fall in love. Now, the last time I was in love I jumped into it... Let me tell you something: Unless the person you're 'in love' with is an actual soulmate, and there's nothing standing in the way of you being happy together forever, you have no chance. Eventually it will end, and your shattered heart will be in pieces on the floor. If you start having feelings for someone, please take a close look. Try to be rational. You may think you're in love, but you may have just not seen the things about the other person that would be dealbreakers. Enjoy the relationship, have fun with the sex, but try not to hang all your hopes on that person. If it works out, great. If it doesn't, at least you have fond memories...
- If you have indeed fallen in (or jumped into) love with someone, despite all the warning signs, take a step back and look at the situation. Will you be able to maintain the relationship? Will you be able to provide everything the other person needs? I jumped into love, and was in bliss while I was with her, but in the end had to place family above all else. It was the most painful decision I ever had to make, but I let her go. I was a complete mess after that, mentally unstable for more months than I care to count. All prior heartbreaks seemed trivial. Please try not to fall, and be very careful when you think you want to jump.
- Eliminate fear. I'm not sure when, but at some point I realized I was not afraid of ANYTHING. You can go ahead and be cautious, and by all means exercise restraint, use your judgment. Just, you know, have no fear. Live right, and you'll have nothing to fear anyway. Things have a way of working themselves out. Exercise trust.
- Forget guilt. Have no remorse. Try to make up for the mistakes you've made, sure, but don't dwell on the past. What's done is done. If you made a mistake, learn from it -- and move on.
I should be writing other things (or maybe I shouldn't be writing anything at all in my present state, after X amount of beers)...
Stay crunchy.
Phil Smith
August 20, 2008
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