They get up in the morning. Check the weather news...eat a few bites...and head off for work. They work a job they don't love. Actually, they have come to hate it in a sense. Its not an art. Its not a passion. It pays the bills. They have work friends, but they aren't real friends. They are people they say good morning too, and forward stupid e-mail jokes to.
They drive home, plop down, turn on the television. They enjoy an evening of reality television, processed snacks, and a form of living death. They are so used to their spouse, that there is nothing new to say. A few work stories...perhaps they discuss the latest drama on one of their television shows. The kids have their own televisions, their own video games, their own phones. Oh, yes...there's the evening news...with its weather report and the sports highlights. Can't forget those. Then off-to-bed. Sleep. Wake up. Repeat steps above.
Politics? They barely pay attention to those. What attention they do pay is surface level. Perhaps they follow the politics they were taught by their parents. Perhaps they have a favorite commentator, blog site, or someone else that forms most of their political thought.
Religion? They are comfortable in their church. Its a big place. The people don't cause much trouble, and they have a few friends there they talk to on Sunday. Or perhaps they just stay home. Religion takes a little too much thought to really bother with. One thing is certain, they've never read the Bible...not even large chunks of it. They believe its the word of their god, but why read it? That's just pointless. The preacher tells them all about god, or they learned all they were going to learn as a kid.
Dreams? Bothersome things that interrupt their sleep. And if they don't get good sleep, they'll be nodding off at their boring-ass job. So, no time to bother with remember their dreams. Thinking about what their dreams might tell them. Dreams are something they had when they were a kid.
Hopes and goals? Oh, they had those once. But they found a spouse. Got into a house. They have a stable job that pays the bills...just barely. And reality television takes up a lot of time. Its sort of hard to find the energy or the time to work towards any real goals. Make anything real happen in this world. Plus, hopes and goals are a luxury of youth. They have a life now. And its not like the hopes and dreams could become reality anyway. So what's the point?
These are the living dead. The drones. They lead their small lives. They don't try to hard at work. They don't try to hard at home. And when they die, they are buried and burned, and within a decade or two...they are forgotten. They have left no mark. They have not lived.
We get one shot at this. Whatever religion you are...this is the here and now. This is the world we have, the life we lead. Make it count.
Don't like your job? Bored out of your mind with it? Move within your company. Work your ass off to advance and challenge yourself. If that's not going to work, actively seek a new job. Something you dream of doing. Maybe once you get it, it won't live up to those dreams...but at least you will have done it and tried it.
Television? Turn that shit off. Sure watch a movie. Learn something on the history channel. Or use television as background noise when you are doing something that actually counts. But don't sit there for four or five hours a night watching other people accomplish things. What does that do for you? It "occupies your time" and little else. Its mental masterbation that numbs your mind to have freakin' bored you really are with your life.
Spouse or family feel disconnected from you? Time to work your ass off again. Be honest. Communicate with your spouse or loved ones what you want. What you expect. What you want your life to be like. Include them in that plan, and ask for their help. Tell them you love them, and you don't want your life to pass you by without joy, and passion, and energy, and dynamic action.
Hopes and Dreams? Listen to your dreams. Work towards your hopes. You want to belong to a ghost hunting group? Start your own. You want to write a novel? It won't write itself. Buy a book on novel writing. Buy 4 of them. Read them, and start writing. Set time aside everyday to write. Want to be an artist? Then take classes. Work on your craft. Meet with other artists. Talk, watch, and learn. Involve yourself in artistic circles. Bored to death with religion, or haven't found one that sings to your soul? Then you haven't bothered looking around. Read. Read. Read. Explore all the varied approaches to the divine question, and find the one that sings to you. No followers of that religion around you? Then start a church, build a website, and start gathering like-minded people.
No one is going to live your life for you. Everyone around you will sit and watch you fritter away your life...without saying a word. No one is going to make you chase your dreams. As a matter of fact, most people will quietly, secretly discourage you. Break free. Make something happen. Live your life so that when you are buried or burned, you will have made something special in this world.
Mark Stinson