Paths: A short piece

[Payne]

You're born, you live, and you die.

We all do, (although, sometimes a lot of people seem to be barely living at all, look into the eyes of some commuters in the morning, you'll know what I mean.).

Some philosophies may tell you that the journey is more important than the destination, or that the the journey is itself life.

Personally, I think that may be bullshit. The journey is the journey, no more, but no less.

Let us break this down. You are at home (you're born) and you want to go the store (death). Your entire "life" will be spent making your way to the store.

Do you go there as fast as possible, limit your exposure to pain and uncomfortable ideas?

Do you go there in a sweet car, drinking, on drugs and surrounded by women, living fast and ignoring more intellectual pursuits?

Do you instead take a scenic route, walk by the canal, looking at the beautiful scenery, trying to absorb as much of the "good things" in life before you die?

There is no correct answer, and you could do any combination of these, and (almost) infinitely more.

What's interesting is when you look at how this applies to your entire "real" life, and you superimpose the paths that others of our species take. Our (almost) infinite choice is reduced to a nebulous collection of people doing exactly the same thing, taking the same routes to death.

Why is this? Do you WANT to be a sheep?

Me neither.

Break out the map and compass kiddos, it's time to explore the badlands. Let us see what lies off the well beaten paths that lead to our anonymous deaths...

[Triple Zero]

What's interesting is when you look at how this applies to your entire "real" life, and you superimpose the paths that others of our species take. Our (almost) infinite choice is reduced to a nebulous collection of people doing exactly the same thing, taking the same routes to death.

Why is this? Do you WANT to be a sheep?

Me neither.

Break out the map and compass kiddos, it's time to explore the badlands. Let us see what lies off the well beaten paths that lead to our anonymous deaths...

this bit is gold, right there!

makes me wanna explore those badlands!

as far as the piece itself goes, some feedback. lose the bit about the commuters, i can perfectly well imagine myself commuting to work with a zombie-face because i'm still waking up, which time i will use for transporting my meatsack from here to there.

also the example of life as going to the store ... i don't think it really works. mostly because you want to go to the store, but you do not really "want" to go to death.

[Payne]

Well, I was thinking of it more as you HAVE to go to the store, as opposed you want to go. Maybe change the metaphor to somewhere else where you MUST go, for good or bad.

The Zombied comuters, maybe another metaphor for that, if I can't think of one, I'll remove it altogether.

[LMNO]

Well, I was thinking of it more as you HAVE to go to the store, as opposed you want to go. Maybe change the metaphor to somewhere else where you MUST go, for good or bad.

The Department of Motor Vehicles.



LMNO
-Often considers this hell, btw.

[Payne]

 

Maybe. I'll consider this more later.

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

You're born, you live, and you die.

We all do, (although, sometimes a lot of people seem to be barely living at all, look into the eyes of some commuters in the morning, you'll know what I mean.).

Some philosophies may tell you that the journey is more important than the destination, or that the the journey is itself life.

Personally, I think that may be bullshit. The journey is the journey, no more, but no less.

Let us break this down. You are at home (you're born) and you want to go the store (death). Your entire "life" will be spent making your way to the store.

Do you go there as fast as possible, limit your exposure to pain and uncomfortable ideas?

Do you go there in a sweet car, drinking, on drugs and surrounded by women, living fast and ignoring more intellectual pursuits?

Do you instead take a scenic route, walk by the canal, looking at the beautiful scenery, trying to absorb as much of the "good things" in life before you die?

There is no correct answer, and you could do any combination of these, and (almost) infinitely more.

What's interesting is when you look at how this applies to your entire "real" life, and you superimpose the paths that others of our species take. Our (almost) infinite choice is reduced to a nebulous collection of people doing exactly the same thing, taking the same routes to death.

Why is this? Do you WANT to be a sheep?

Me neither.

Break out the map and compass kiddos, it's time to explore the badlands. Let us see what lies off the well beaten paths that lead to our anonymous deaths...

100% Awesome!

[Mangrove]

The DMV...or as I prefer to call it...Satan's Asshole.

- Dane Cook (I think)

[Verbal Mike]

I second trip's comments. And I think this piece summarizes the "paths" idea rather succintly(sp?) and clrearly.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

At first I thought the title was "Pants: A short piece" and I loled.

[Thurnez Isa]

Break out the map and compass kiddos, it's time to explore the badlands. Let us see what lies off the well beaten paths that lead to our anonymous deaths...

This is a brilliant saying
We have to do something with it

[Payne]

OK, heres an edited version of the OP.

I though about Trips comments, and they did make sense after all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You're born, you live, and you die.

We all do, (although, sometimes a lot of people seem to be barely living at all).

Some philosophies may tell you that the journey is more important than the destination, or that the the journey is itself life.

Personally, I think that may be bullshit. The journey is the journey, no more, but no less.

Let us break this down. You are at home (you're born) and you have to go somewhere (death). Your entire "life" will be spent making your way there.

Do you go there as fast as possible, limit your exposure to pain and uncomfortable ideas?

Do you go there in a sweet car, drinking, on drugs and surrounded by women, living fast and ignoring more intellectual pursuits?

Do you instead take a scenic route, walk by the canal, looking at the beautiful scenery, trying to absorb as much of the "good things" in life before you die?

Or do you stay at home, waiting for it to come to you?

There is no correct answer, and you could do any combination of these, and (almost) infinitely more.

What's interesting is when you look at how this applies to your entire "real" life, and you superimpose the paths that others of our species take. Our (almost) infinite choice is reduced to a nebulous collection of people doing exactly the same thing, taking the same routes to death.

Why is this? Do you WANT to be a sheep?

Me neither.

Break out the map and compass kiddos, it's time to explore the badlands. Let us see what lies off the well beaten paths that lead to our anonymous deaths...

[Cramulus]

nice work, Payne. I like this a lot. I think the word Sheep is a bit harsh, but appropriate.

This weekend, my friends were complaining about boredom. I said,

"Let's go to a furry convention."

they all rolled their eyes. "Why?"

"Because," I said, "for one, it would be the absolute weirdest place on earth we could visit. For two, it would be so many lulz you might get a stomach ulcer."

They didn't like it. 

"What if there's a way to scam ourselves free tickets? Like by speaking on a panel or something?" (a great way to get in free to some conventions. Credentials and background are easily faked, if evidence is planted far enough in advance)

They still didn't like it, but said they'd consider it. 



I was exposed to so much weird shit in college, I think it permanently altered my perception of Fun. I always wanted to try out NEW ways to have fun. Do NEW things, even if they weren't fun. Like the game "Eat the Stick"... everyone takes turns rolling a die. If you roll a six, you have to eat a stick. It sucks.

But the TENSION is exciting. These sticks are found outside, and you really don't want to eat them. I almost threw up once, from the disgusting feeling of my mouth being full of dry wood pulp. But five years later, we're still talking about it. So I guess I won? I dunno.

But yeah, break out.

[Triple Zero]

agreed. this version is better (though perhaps also a bit more bland--but you can't please everybody)

I was exposed to so much weird shit in college, I think it permanently altered my perception of Fun. I always wanted to try out NEW ways to have fun. Do NEW things, even if they weren't fun. Like the game "Eat the Stick"... everyone takes turns rolling a die. If you roll a six, you have to eat a stick. It sucks.

there's similar games ... a friend of mine, who spent half her life in an unnamed neighbouring country told us about how her (male) friends told her about this game where they all went fapping over a cookie, and whoever came last had to eat it. she was kinda surprised when we were all like "WTF?!!", "you mean you guys never played those games?", "no, somehow we prefer to keep our fucking dignity"

(i say her male friends told her, because, you know, it might just as well be made up)

another game, similar to your stick game, goes like this. you're with a bunch of people that are smoke cigarettes, you take one cigarette-rolling paper, and you take turns burning holes in the paper with a cigarette. the holes are not allowed to touch. whoever burns the first hole that touches another hole (creating a larger hole) loses. this person then has to eat the cigarette paper. "why?", "because he lost.", "why is this fun?", "because if you don't lose, the other guy has to eat the burnt paper."

it's ehm.. myeah. ..

i might even like "eat the stick" better, for it's complete and utter lack of skill and senselessness, gives it a sort of conceptual aesthetic of sorts. while the others are just mediocre stupid, "eat the stick" is stupid in a minimalistic sense.

[Verbal Mike]

i might even like "eat the stick" better, for it's complete and utter lack of skill and senselessness, gives it a sort of conceptual aesthetic of sorts. while the others are just mediocre stupid, "eat the stick" is stupid in a minimalistic sense.

[Triple Zero]

i might even like "eat the stick" better, for it's complete and utter lack of skill and senselessness, gives it a sort of conceptual aesthetic of sorts. while the others are just mediocre stupid, "eat the stick" is stupid in a minimalistic sense.

i figured it takes a european to appreciate that