I read this Margaret Killjoy article about the “punk rock good life” recently, and have been thinking a lot about what I want from life.
What makes a “good life” for you?
What makes a “good life” for you?
Helping other people. Anything else is just self indulgent (not saying that makes you bad, we all do that, albeit shitty people to a greater degree then others) Took me until i was about 45 to realise this, am now 60.
I think about what all of my grandparents would think of my life, the children I raised, the way I raised them, the good works I have done and continue to do. Is it a perfect life, hell no, of course not, but I think overall that I’ve lived a moral life.
I saw my grandma a few weeks ago and gave her a small embroidery project. It felt a little silly and childish but she taught me to sew, and I guess I wanted her to see that it’s something I’ve kept up with.
I’m probably not going to have kids, which I really hate, but I’ve taught lots of kids to sew, so maybe that’s close to this.
I got lucky and got good career guidance that lead me to a job I enjoyed. It wasn’t a burning passion, just a gig that let me help people and paid a reasonable salary.
If you can wake up on a rainy Monday morning and not hate getting out of bed, you’ve solved most of your problems.
That’s a vague way of putting it, but I’m in basically the same boat. I got lucky with my job, and I don’t hate it, and I feel that I do help with things more than I don’t. I still struggle with the occasional rainy Monday, but not usually because of work. I guess that’s a pretty good way of describing it.
ethics
that is what really matters, rich or poor. I have lived as an ultra poor person with only the cloths on my back and, thankfully, on my best friends couch. I now live in a big old historical house. The guy who built my house also subscribed to the ideal that ethics was paramount. He was famous for creating the Sunday Edition newspaper so the farming community could have an edition that was specifically for them. Containing the important things a rural, isolated person would need from a news source.
I choose to work in state government because doing something that adds to the community is more important to me then the dollar bill. I could easily make 50K more in a corprate job but the dollar is not important. I have almost a million dollars saved but that is always for the rainy day that will come.
When I see people asking for money, I ask them when was the last time they ate a full meal. You will find that hungry people will be very honest and giving a hungry person a full meal is one of the greatest rewards. That feeling is a harsh reailty. My city is full of homeless, well beyond the norm. It is historically a hobo rest stop. So I feel obligated to make sure new faces are fed.
So what is the good life… IDK
but I am trying and it starts with caring about my fellow person. Not taking advantage of someone, unless they are trying to get one over on me. Welcoming the stranger and caring about the little moments where you see someone trying their best and telling them you see it.
Caring. Even when it hurts.
