The Leisure in Our Days

It occurred to me at some point within the past few weeks how far we as a society have progressed. Though there have undoubtedly been major advancements in a variety of areas,I'm speaking specifically about our survival (when I refer to "our" survival, I'm speaking of the idea of the "first world").

Leisure was a grand contribution of the 19th Century. For the first time, people could forget about merely surviving and expect free time in their daily life. As technology improved, the idea of "leisure" expanded. What was once the exclusive right of the well to do, began to seep into all levels of society.

With this expansion (and continued scientific advancement), the conceptualization of "leisure" began to shift. Leisure time had always been about seeking out entertainment. This goal slowly morphed. With the emergence of personal entertainment, from phonographs down to computers, the onus of entertainment shifted from something sought to something received. Catered enjoyment is the expectation. Life has become nothing more than a series of distractions. Our needs are largely solved so we strive against boredom. Mr. Cobain said it best in his cultural anthem of the early 90s, "here we are now, entertain us."

The Morning View

There are countless millions of people who wear disposable contact lenses. The guidelines state that you should replace them every two weeks. It seems everyone chooses to forgo the protocol, myself included. And while you are supposed to take them out every night for cleaning, there are some who even eschew this procedure and can go months without cleaning. I'm not in this second group. Even at the height of inebriation I always seem to remember to take out my contacts before bed. As for replacement, I have no set schedule. Tonight, however, was an exception. I tossed away my contacts on purpose. I want a new pair to put in tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow is an important day. I've lived a relatively short life. I have, however, witnessed numerous events that affected the globe in some form. Somehow I remember Kirk Gibson's home run in the 1988 World Series. I remember the bay series earthquake in 1989 and yet have no recollection of the fall of the Berlin Wall. I remember the 1st Gulf War, Clinton's win in 92, the OJ chase, Princess Diana's crash, and the Lewinsky fiasco. As a semi-adult I experienced the elections of 2000 & 2004, the Patriot Act, the invasion of Iraq, and the Red Sox's break the curse. None of these events can compare to January 20th in importance. It is, without a doubt, the second most important event that has occurred during my lifetime. When viewed in terms of possibility or positivity, it has to be the single most important event that has transpired in my short life.

The impact of Obama's election can't be calculated in statistics. It is felt in the emotions of the people. And even though the affect of tomorrow isn't personal for me,per say, it is enormously personal to millions upon millions of others. No matter the politics, January 20th is an event without comparison. A day that surely deserves a new pair of lenses. The world will never look the same.

Mercurial Goals for the New Year

1-3-09 (it took me awhile to get this up)

Another year is here. One year seems to just blend into the next and the most noticeable effect on my life is how often I have to scratch out "08" and scribble in "09" when I'm writing dates. I'm certain it will take a month before I'm able to correctly write those dates with any regularity.

There are many who disdain the New Year. For instance, a close friend hates the first months of the year because the gym parking lot is always so crowded. The irony of his discontent is palpable.

I've never been quite so negative about the first of the year. Despite this, it's hard for me to be excited about the passing of time. Perhaps I too easily see the morbid reality of the new year. The dire inevitability of our existence.

Putting me at further odds, I've never been much of a New Year's resolution man. It mayn't be the best book by which to live one's life but, at least in a way, I abide by Calvin's system of resolutions. While Calvin's noticeable egotism is on full display throughout the Calvin & Hobbes series, it is truly crystallized in strips dealing with New Year resolutions. In his eyes resolutions are meant for everyone else. Unfortunately, I'm not that self-centered. While Calvin rejects the idea of resolutions for himself, I instead reject the confining structural limits of New Year's resolutions. My own trite outlook, be the change you want to see, is not meant to be dictated by the calendar.

Though he is, like us all, a flawed individual, I've always envied Calvin. Not for his imagination, or his astute feline friend, or even for the adventure he sees in every day life; instead I envy him for his clarity. That's the one truly attractive benefit of living a self-centered life. Everything in the world makes sense when you are at its center (which is of course why most struggle to find it).

So, if I was pressed to provide a resolution for this new year, it would be a simple one. It is of course my deepest desire, the one that forever seems just out of my reach. In 2009, just like the years that came before it, my resolution is finding clarity, the elusive goal for all of humanity.