Hippie Paradigms
Non Poker I've found myself content at 3:30 in the morning in Lytle Creek, California. It's a small mountain town outside of Los Angeles. Jared and I left from Vegas at 8:45pm Sunday night to head to his Mom's house. He's coming down now since he has to work on Thanksgiving, so I figured I'd join him. My Mom isn't doing the big family thing this Thanksgiving. I really wanted to do the big family thing, but this way I'll get to spend time, roll with Jared, and not stress being back in town for my friend coming into town this weekend or to get Travis a ride to the airport on Friday. So, yeah, Mom - there's my plan :-).I've been thinking about this paradigm of "being a hippie" if you will for a long time. In July I realized that this pursuit of fame and fortune had made me a real pain in the ass to be around and in general not so much of a pleasant person. I missed the person that I was several years ago and have been working on incorporating the lessons that I learned years ago but had forgotten during this summer. I re-learned that I had always hated money and what it often does to people. I remembered how much I like people, and how much I enjoy being in a community of people who are good.
Recently I have been re-learning what it means to be happy. What really makes me happy. People have often asked me if I am happy, or if I like what I am doing. Others have criticized me in my career path saying that I am doing nothing for the world, that my previous directions were "better". I have learned that this world does not need any more doctors, or lawyers, or teachers, or athletes, or whatever. What this world needs is happy people, because happy people make people happy more than any of the other professions listed before. If I am a happy poker player, I am going to make the lives and the worlds of the people that I encounter better by simply being a happy person. Imagine if the number of truly happy people you ran into every day increased ten fold. Man! What a more awesome society we would live in!
And the paradigms of society. The things that we have made important and not. The fact that my friend who used to be a teacher made $35k last year while I can play a stupid game of cards and be up over $100k this year. Or that Alex Rodriguez is getting ten year contracts for $275m while our soldiers get shot at for $20k/year.
I believe that our society needs to change in many, many ways. As much as I would like to up and vanish on the road, chase rivers and snow around the country, and just live, I know it is not the right thing. I love the community of hippies, and wanderers, and guides, and anybody else who loves people and freedom, but it is wrong to isolate ourselves from the rest of the world simply because we do not agree with the world. Just as it is wrong for the church to isolate themselves from the world, for Christian communities to isolate themselves from others. I have made a very intentional moment to change my paradigms yet still live my life in the place that I have found myself.
I spend more time around campfires. I play my guitar more. I talk with people more, rather than watch TV. I have remembered to live for right now, because tomorrow is not guaranteed to us. I've learned to re-focus on poker, and to balance it as an element of work rather than a dominant force in my life. I have re-kindled old friendships and remembered who I was.
I'm going to spend a few days here in So. Cal and be back in Vegas on Wednesday. Venetian starts next week and the Five Diamond is immediately after!
It's a mystery to me
We have a Greed
With which we have agreed
And you think you have to
Want more than you need
Until you have it all
You won't be Free
Society
You're a crazy breed
I Hope you're not lonely
Without me
When you want more than you have
You think you need
And when you think more than you want
Your thoughts begin to bleed
I think I need to find a bigger place
Cause when you have
More than you think
You need more space
Society
Crazy indeed
I hope you're not lonely
Without me
There's those thinking more less
Less is more
But if less is more,
How you keepin score?
Means for every point you make
Your level drops
Kinda like you're startin from the top
And you can't do that
Society
You're a crazy breed
Hope you're not lonely
Without me
Society
Crazy indeed
Hope you're not lonely
Without me
Society
Have mercy on me
Hope you're not angry
I disagree
Society
You're a crazy breed
Hope you're not lonely
Without me
Society, Written by Jerry Hannan, Performed by Eddie Vedder
Peace and good luck,
Devo
posted by Devo @ 4:59 AM
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