June 2, 2004
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Topic: What really matters?
I went for a walk today to clear my head from 19 hours of flying. I started questioning again all that i’m doing, but as I saw a few parents running a soccer practice for their little kids, I remembered. Although I’m only 22, I want to be a father one day, in fact, I want to be a great father. So, I don’t want to develop any bad habits of living a dull life, or living a life consumed by work. I also realized that my physical health is important so I can play with my kids, so, I need to find work and leisure activities that are active. Anyways…it suddenly dawned on me, that any temptation I have to live a normal life, would most likely lead me to not being the parent I want to be. I realized that when all in life becomes confusing, a simple look at your list of what you value in life helps put things into place.
So…my question today, is what are your most important values in life, what is your list of priorities that you consult when making life decisions, and how well do you really keep to them. Here’s mine:
Personal freedom – travelling, making my own way, def. #1
Travel – I’ve spent 6mos. abroad, but def. want to see more
Friends – I’ve done ok keeping up w/ my best friends, and am working w/ a few this summer
Career- trying to find my way into education/writing/activism
Continuing education – I want to do enriching things…I definately need to read more, i’ve been home 24hours and already feel tv rotting my head (except sports, sports are good).
Family – not the highest priority, i’ll admit, although i’m trying to spend more time with them
Women – always important, but all my hopefuls are scattered around the world
Money – i’ve got enough to eat, sleep, and stay alive basically
House, Car, other shit – all the stuff that i believe shouldn’t matter in life, right now, doesn’t matter in my life.
I’m pretty happy w/ my list. I’m kind of ready for women to move up higher, as well as family. Personal freedom i hope will always be my #1. Hopefully the career will take care of the money that i do need to live off of. Until I decide to have a family, I’m hoping to keep money and the material things below my other priorities.
Comments (3)
hey there, I was reading your comments at lettersat3am’s site and linked over here… your little blurb at the top of your site about values and passions… well, you could say that about homeschooling! you have the idea there – just apply it to small children
by the way, I have a PhD so I’ve been overindoctrinated in the Am. educational system and feel some of the same resentment and sense the same problems that you do! I’m also homeschooling my 6 year old son…
hey dan – i totally need to realign my values – but i think you should read this, i stole it from James blog (jamesworld.org – he’s awesome), but i think it’s interesting. i don’t necessarily agree with it all, but it’s worth the read.
http://www.temple.edu/documentation/heritage/speech.html
Dr. Tiff makes a great point about applying our freedoms to small children. We believe we live in a free country; however, we don’t believe our children should be free. Yes, we must keep them safe, and we should be there to guide them, but we put so much effort into solving their problems *for* them, teaching them this and that and everything. What they need more of is to be left alone to discover for themselves. Mistakes and failures will happen. They do even when we try to prevent them; I might argue perhaps more so. The lessons that have the most relevancy and meaning to one’s life are the ones we learn ourselves.