Thoreau Had It Right.

Ever since I picked up Walden for the first time I've felt I had a companion in Thoreau. Over the years I've been drawn to his way of living, and often pondered his deep thoughts he was kind enough to write out on paper. I've come to the conclusion that the man really did know how to live.

Over the past year, I worked my butt off in every sense of the word. I added hours to my already full time job, by working other little side jobs. Meanwhile, take into account that I was in school as well. Yeah, I know, insanity defined. Or was it? Well, to the world around me certainly not, and not to me either since I had been caught up in my new found American "workaholic" mentality.

You'd think some profound notion grabbed my attention, and I had this epiphany that maybe, quite posisbly, I should slow down. I mean, I am only 20, I've got my whole life ahead of me to act like a crazy person, and work every waking moment (sleeping a couple hours in there somewhere).

What really grabbed my attention was the stress that was accumulating on my body. Everything in me was exhausted. I was doing life, but I noticed I was basically living it like a zombie of sorts. I had no ambition, no drive. The things that used to make me come alive, I was simply too tired to embrace or enjoy.

I started to mentally make decisions on how I would change. First cutting back the side jobs, then eventually ending the full time job, to take only the side jobs. Yes, I took a pay cut, but I also felt life begin to return to my veins. The things I once enjoyed and found inspiration in began to be weaved in and out of my daily life.

I began to see the crazy, workaholic mode from a completely different light, now that I wasn't in the midst of it anymore. It was indeed just that, crazy. I still can't understand the audacity one must have to live like that. I can't help but think Thoreau really did have it right, and maybe just maybe we are all doing it wrong.

Sacrificing love, and inspiration for some more dollar signs in our bank account. Or maybe it's just a pride thing, it feels good to announce to the public, "I too have no life! My life is work!" It makes us feel as if we deserve to be on this earth. But, really it is insanity. It's a train we jump on and never get off, until our bodies are in overdrive 24-7 and we don't know what it means, nor what it feels like to jump off and simply breathe.

When is the last time you picked up a good book, and simply read?
How about the last time you simple laid in the grass and looked up at the beautiful, vast expanse of sky above your head?
When is the last time you were able to enjoy your coffee? Not just throw it back to get a caffeine jolt from being overly tired.

What if we were courageous enough to indeed jump off the train, and enjoy life for once?
How would the quality of our life, of our world, change?

Maybe, just maybe we should mirror Thoreau a little more here in the 21st century we find ourselves in.

Peace. Love. Joy.