Rounding Out The Day

So, I try and end out each day a little differently, before succumbing to my nightly routine of showering (yes that's still thing), watching TV, having a small bowl of ice cream, brushing my teeth, and collapsing clumsily in bed. I don't always succeed in variation. But I try, I try.

Tonight, I sat out on my front porch and read a little. It's not the first time I've sone this, to be sure, but it is admittedly a rare occurrence. I have a nice front porch, with nice furniture to sit on and a nice little table to hold my little drink. It's a shame I don't use it more, really. Though maybe infrequent use makes it more special when it's done. I'll go with that.

Oh yeah, I'm supposed to throw in a picture to augment my writing. OK. Here's a picture of me from earlier today, looking all fuzzy because I haven't shaved in weeks. You're welcome. This was taken out on the American River Bike Trail near Sac State, where I also saw three deer this morning.

Anyways, I'm currently at the hind end of reading Vonnegut's "Bluebeard", a quasi-autobiographical work of fiction. Probably more fiction than biography, but it's the best we're going to get from Vonnegut. Anyways, the point being made at the hind end of this slab of paper and ink seems to be this: in life we're tormented by the dichotomy of choosing between doing something we're really good at versus something we think we should be good at. Or wish we were. I suppose truly successful people are those who have it both ways. They lose the dichotomy. Vonnegut's character stresses the reason why he chose not to pursue what he was "good" at. Because it's "too fucking easy". He doesn't swear much, so I suppose this should be a grand gesture of a serious point being made.

Of course, who wants to just do what we're good at? How boring would that be? But I see a lot of people at school pursuing goals that I know most of then will never reach. Should I tell them? Should someone? Nah, I suppose life is about the journey anyways. They'll learn, by and by.

Bluebeard is also an old French folktale, about a wealthy man who murders his wives, and one wife's attempt to avoid this fate. It was made into an opera by Bela Bartok. But the book deals, more or less, with the idea of the creation of meaningful art. Whether anything we do is truly meaningful. It's a good point on life, really. It also talks a lot about the the relationships between men and women in society, as well as trying to find a place where we fit in. Good stuff.

Well anyways, I could ramble on and on, but I've already showered, the TV is on playing old episodes of Family Guy, and somewhere downstairs there's a bowl of ice cream calling my name. It's a good way to round out the day, anyway.