Simplier Things…

In my last post, I talked about my need to think more like a developer and less like an Admin. As all to often is the case, I tend to think a lot. My personal habits being what they are, I like a lot of quiet time and prefer solitude to think. This is greatly beneficial when I’m working on a problem I can’t figure out, and sometimes the thinking just runs off on it’s own.

Recently, I have been thinking a lot about our modern lifestyles. We seem to rush around all the time looking for the next shiny bauble, or meeting a deadline, or some other thing that has people running around all the time. I moved from Denver to Tulsa, in part to help out family but also to get away from a major metro area. I don’t miss the traffic, the congestion, people packed up to together like sardines in a can, or the noise. However, I am starting to feel the same way about Tulsa.

So is it the city or is it me? Probably both. At any rate, these thought patterns have me thinking, or rather analyzing my life. Granted I’m only 35, but I feel it’s time to take time for some introspection and decide where I want to go next.

I love what I do for a career, I love the idea of moving into Development, and I love some of the tools of the modern age. I spend more time on a computer, on the internet, and doing computer stuff than I do anything else. I have even started pleasure reading online, which maybe responsible for this post….at least in part, here’s why.

The current book I’m reading is called Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. The book is initially about running, something I am working on getting into. However, I’m also going to say the book is about philosophy and the deeper meaning of life, or rather how we choose to live our lives. The premise of the book is analyzing a Mexican Indian culture that centers around running. They run as a way of life, and the run with nothing more than sandals. The book has gotten into a bit of a debate about how modern shoes have screwed up the natural running of man and caused injuries to runners that never used to exist. It also examines why if shoe science is so superb, why does a neolithic Indian tribe in Mexico out run people geared up in the last and greatest running gear, with less injuries.

Well, that got me thinking about a host of other things as well. Such as, why do we drive everywhere? Why do we go inside and spend time on the internet looking up things (trees, animals, birds, landscapes, etc) that we could observe just by walking out the door?  Why are we always in some hurry to do something, get something done, go somewhere, or interact with people? Why has having a full life turned into “How much crap can you get done in X amount of time” rather than “Enjoying what you have and the people around you”?

Modern American’s are some of the hardest working people in the world. Yet, we also have all these gadgets, gizmos, tools, and other things that are suppose to make life simpler and easier. The idea is, we work smarter not harder. Great. So why are we working 50-80 hours a week to get ahead? Get ahead of what? Why aren’t we content with what we already have?

In essence what I really want to is this:

In our search for a simpler, easier life, why have we gone out and made it so damn confusing, difficult, and full of time consuming crap?

Granted, I’m positive this isn’t some new idea or revelation about society. In the course of humanity, I’m sure it’s been asked over and over. But of late, you don’t hear so much about it. Maybe everyone else already has this figured out and I’m way late to the party. I don’t know. Right now I feel like the single best thing I can do for me, my wife, my family is to slow down. Not everything has to be done right this second. I hustle enough at work…for peace of mind, I think I need to slow down the personal life…..life isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. I don’t want to miss things because I’m racing to the next shiny bauble.

I’m sure this won’t be the last post on the subject….