Food for thought

[Joni]

For anyone that thinks the more expensive gear is the ONLY was to go,

A group of graduates, well established in their careers,
were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit
their old university professor, now retired.
During their visit, the conversation turned to
complaints about stress in their work and lives.
Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went
into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of
hot chocolate and an assortment of cups -
porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking,
some expensive, some exquisite telling them to help
themselves to the hot chocolate.

When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand,
the professor said:
'Notice that all the nice looking expensive cups were
taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones.
While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves,
that is the source of your problems and stress.
The cup that you're drinking from adds
nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate.
In most cases it is just more expensive
and in some cases even hides what we drink.
What all of you really wanted was the hot chocolate,
not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups...
And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate;
your job, money and position in society are the cups.
They are just tools to hold and contain life.
The cup you have does not define,
nor change the quality of life you have.
Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup,
we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us.

God makes the hot chocolate, man chooses the cups.
The happiest people don't have the best of everything,
they just make the best of everything that they have.


Live simply. Love generously.
Care deeply. Speak kindly.
And, enjoy your hot chocolate.

 

[Fishstick]

Wise words Joni....thanks.

 

[BigCliff]

well said undeniable truth there

 

[Wyatt]

The Social norm of keeping up with the Jones has ruined the ability to stop and smell the Roses, Brand new cars, oversized homes, live in Nannys to rase the Kids, but this is America so if that is what they want I say have at it I'm going Fishing-Hiking-Camping and taking worthless picture with the wife and daughter and any one else that wants to tag along.
Wyatt

 

[Sahagan]

I believe the most powerful, invasive and pervasive force on earth....is the American merchandising machine. From your browser's start page, to every magazine, newspaper, radio and television, advertisements assail us daily, with but one goal in mind. To sell product, whether it be cosmetic dentistry, better sleeping potions, or the latest and best in automobiles and electronics. It's always to sell.

So, you end up buying unneeded, and most probably unwanted, cup after cup, all because you believed what you were told.

We're so busy trying to learn how to get the most out of our latest gadgets (remember electronic geegaws with instruction books 1/2 inch thick?), that we never think to ask, "Why should we buy it?" in the first place.

Real happiness is not to be found in things....but in the gentler pleasures, in learning a new craft or art, in sitting alongside a quietly moving stream, while contemplating nature, the world around us, and those fish that seem so much smarter than we.

(Forgive me....I just finished THE COMPLEAT ANGLER by Izaak Walton for the second time, after a 30 year hiatus, so it's rubbed off on me pretty bad.)

Sahagan

 

[Surfin the Susquehanna]

Nice post Joni....

I see two sides to this coin.

I see no problem with ambition and wanting nice "stuff", but there are people that work hard for what they want and never have time to enjoy the simple things. There are also people out there that have absolutley no ambition and will drink from the "cups" provided by the "system", bought and paid for by the ambitious.

In my eyes balance is the key. That level of balance is different for everyone.

I love the old catch phrase "Work Hard, Play Hard".

 

[kevindsingleton]

I think the more driving force is the urge to "buy", not the urge to "sell". Sure, we're bombarded with advertising at every turn, but it's not so much that advertisers, or merchants, are so desperately trying to sell us stuff, it's that we're buying stuff at a record pace, and the merchants are trying to direct our disposable income to their particular wares. You could blame advertisers for enticing us to spend money, unnecessarily, but, first, you'd have to admit that your will was weak enough to be diverted! I work hard (well, I tell my boss that I work hard) for my money, and I'll spend what's left over where I choose. Adverts have some influence on which widget I will buy, but I steadfastly maintain that the ultimate decision of whether to buy, or not, is mine. I don't always get the latest gadget, but I would never go on a fishing trip without a digital camera, cell phone, and MP3 player, again. With the ready availability of inexpensive electronics, today, who would?

Sure, simplicity can absolve some of the stress of daily living, but, if the price is occasionally reading a half-inch thick manual, I'll do my penance.

 

[Joe D]

Excellent... reminds me of the story about the American tourist in Mexico;

A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.

"Not very long," answered the Mexican.

"But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American. The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.

The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs. I have a full life."

The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat."

"And after that?" asked the Mexican.

"With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise."

"How long would that take?" asked the Mexican.

"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American.

"And after that?"

"Afterwards? Well my friend, that's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start selling stock and make millions!"

"Millions? Really? And after that?" said the Mexican.

"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends."

And the moral is: Know where you're going in life... you may already be there.

 

[Joni]

Very nice Joe, thanks
Kevin, surf, sahagan, wyatt, big cliff and fishstick, thanks for sharing.

 

[dorian.ducker]

Excellent... reminds me of the story about the American tourist in Mexico;

A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.

"Not very long," answered the Mexican.

"But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American. The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.

The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs. I have a full life."

The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat."

"And after that?" asked the Mexican.

"With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise."

"How long would that take?" asked the Mexican.

"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American.

"And after that?"

"Afterwards? Well my friend, that's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start selling stock and make millions!"

"Millions? Really? And after that?" said the Mexican.

"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends."

And the moral is: Know where you're going in life... you may already be there.

Joe....This is one of my favorite anecdotes of all time. I think a lot of people are in this boat. Really makes you think about things.

 

[Joe D]

Joe....This is one of my favorite anecdotes of all time. I think a lot of people are in this boat. Really makes you think about things.

Dorian, I thought about it once a couple of decades ago. Went fishing and never looked back!

 

[Flyfisher for men]

Joni,

As someone who's bound by vow to simplicity and living without much in the way of possessions or wealth, I give what you say my endorsement. What separates human beings from the rest of the world is that we are by nature spiritual. Material things will never satisfy us in our deepest longings. That can only come from a spiritual reality.

 

[Joni]

Joni,

As someone who's bound by vow to simplicity and living without much in the way of possessions or wealth, I give what you say my endorsement. What separates human beings from the rest of the world is that we are by nature spiritual. Material things will never satisfy us in our deepest longings. That can only come from a spiritual reality.

NICE!