Friday, August 26, 2011

Response to Mick Parson's Rules for Living

I've mentioned Mick before a while back.  Great writer--someone we should all read.  He can easily be mistaken as a writer's writer and I suppose all of us fall into that category to a certain extent but his ohio expatriate blog was always my favorite and I am happy to see it up and publishing again.  His most recent post warrants some response from me.  It's a good exercise really--rules for living. It's a working list for him.  Here's my response--which is slowly turning into it's own list.

1) Mick's Rule: do no harm.  My rule: do unto others as you'd have them do to you.  But all his first one really is, is "Don't be an asshole".  And I'm with him there; we're all going to be an asshole sometimes though so I think it's important to add the importance of apologizing and being able to admit when we're wrong.  We're all going to screw up sometimes.  We might do harm to someone without realizing; often times it's how we handle when we screw up that makes or breaks us.  Saying "I'm sorry" or "I was wrong, you were right" are good things to do when the moment calls for it.  But I agree with his premise, forcing our will on others only makes the world a more miserable place.  Being open to other's llifestyles and learning to accept and coexist make us a far richer society and make for a happier, more interesting world.  It's hard for people to do though.  Fear drives so many of us, especially during times like these, full of economic hardships.  Traversing into the unknown and taking risks can have far greater ramifications. But when I think about that, it's all the more reason to not be an asshole.

2)  Mick's rule: Wear clean socks.  My rule: Wear clean underwear and keep your bellybutton clean.  I don't always wear clean socks.  And it doesn't affect my psychoses one bit.  I do wear clean underwear though and always clean out my belly button.  This is not because of any parental rules or anything like that.  My dad used to work in the OR and be in on a lot of emergency surgeries.  I remember him talking once about how dirty peoples underwear were sometimes and how dirty their belly buttons would be.  Of course, he may have been saying this just to get me to wear clean underwear and to scrub my belly button.  I don't really know; I remember being pretty young.  He may have mentioned something about dirty socks, too, but if he did, it never really registered.  In fairness to Mick, he's talking about just feeling better having clean socks on.  Yeah, I don't see it, clean underwear maybe . . . but not clean socks.

3)  Mick's rule:  Read something non-essential every day.  My rule: Read something every day.  I think it can be something essential; just read every day.  Again, I'm with him on the premise.  There are too many anti-intellectual people and too many stupid people in the world.  Now, it just occured to me, that the more some of those people read, the dumber they might get.  Especially if they're already unwilling to think for themselves.  Still, I think exercising your mind every day is important, maybe that should be the rule.

4)  Mick's rule: Live near a bar. My rule: drink when you need to--if you don't have any friends to drink with, pretend you do.  Of course, such things should be done when the days work is finished.

5)  Mick's rule: Never offend a bartender,secretary or janitor.  Amen to that.

6)  Mick's rule: Be kind to all critter's smaller than you.  My rule:  Be nice to animals until they fuck up your garden such as eat your tomato plants, dig out your corn, eat your tulips, and eat your beans.  Squirrels, rabbits, deer and mourning doves have prices on their heads in my back yard. 

7)  Mick's rule: Apologize when it's sincere and always keep your integrity.  My rule: see #1.

8) Mick's rule: Be honest.  My rule:  Be honest but also respectful, empathetic, and sensitive to the feelings of others.  Notice he didn't say, "be brutally honest."

9)  Mick's rule: You know you had a good day when you can sleep that night.  My rule: see #4

10)  Mick's rule: The only thing you have to do in life is die. Everything else is an option.  My rule:  Let love rule, baby.  Seriously, moderation is the key to life.  Avoid excess and explore new things and take on new adventures with every year of your life.  Learn to forgive, not to where people keep screwing you over but to where you can still look someone in the eye after they do.  It ain't easy, especially when you're not asked to forgive someone who has done you wrong, all the more reason to do it in your own mind, though: let love rule, baby.  I suppose in some respects this brings us back to number 1.

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