Thursday, September 06, 2007
'I shall have no Covenants, only Proximites. . .'
Slowly getting back to the routine here after a long week off staying up near the headwaters with family. Had a swell time. The tallest Red Pine in Minnesota, one of the tallest in the nation, suffered wind damage this spring. About 300 years old, now 'the monarch is dying.' Choked me up a little.
I've been enamored with that Ralph Waldo Emerson quote for quite a while. I believe he is saying that will have no 'Covenants', no childish, black and white rules for his behavior. Rather an Ideal that he will seek to remain in 'proximity' of. So instead of declaring that alcohol is a sin and I will never touch it, he sees a role model of a responsible, temperate man and strives to emulate that behavior.
I liked that thinking. Seemed more mature than the system of 'morality' where one follows certain commandments laid down by a questionable deity in return for rewards of an even more questionable nature. This system also precludes the worthless guilt from 'cheating on your diet.' I swore I was never again going to wank it on a Sunday morning, now I've sinned and feel lousy about myself.
Besides, 'covenants' and the like must be purged from one's consciousness to stay on the active defense against the living death of Obsessive Compulsive Behavior.
Yet I'm also coming to grips with the usefulness of certain rules and routines. I'm learning that the Writer sits down and writes every single day - that should be the proximity I'm shooting for. My policy of writing every Tuesday and Thursday for two hours even if I have to tie myself to the desk chair is working. . .
So I shall have One Covenant, one self-imposed rule that I will subjugate my id to without deviation.
See, I have two great loves in my life, so I can only have one beer.
The One Beer Covenant. I completely love beer. I love every variety and type, the history and the science; hops makes my blood smile. Lately I've been alcoholically ravenous. A bottle of Summit Extra Pale Ale goes in my belly in a few chugs, then on to the next one. I'm not enjoying the beer, only the buzz. So now I will only drink one beer a day.
Don't get me wrong, I'll still get rowdy off a string of martinis or a bottle of wine, I'm only putting the beer hound on the leash. I think this is a big enough change. It's a big enough change.
I've been enamored with that Ralph Waldo Emerson quote for quite a while. I believe he is saying that will have no 'Covenants', no childish, black and white rules for his behavior. Rather an Ideal that he will seek to remain in 'proximity' of. So instead of declaring that alcohol is a sin and I will never touch it, he sees a role model of a responsible, temperate man and strives to emulate that behavior.
I liked that thinking. Seemed more mature than the system of 'morality' where one follows certain commandments laid down by a questionable deity in return for rewards of an even more questionable nature. This system also precludes the worthless guilt from 'cheating on your diet.' I swore I was never again going to wank it on a Sunday morning, now I've sinned and feel lousy about myself.
Besides, 'covenants' and the like must be purged from one's consciousness to stay on the active defense against the living death of Obsessive Compulsive Behavior.
Yet I'm also coming to grips with the usefulness of certain rules and routines. I'm learning that the Writer sits down and writes every single day - that should be the proximity I'm shooting for. My policy of writing every Tuesday and Thursday for two hours even if I have to tie myself to the desk chair is working. . .
So I shall have One Covenant, one self-imposed rule that I will subjugate my id to without deviation.
See, I have two great loves in my life, so I can only have one beer.
The One Beer Covenant. I completely love beer. I love every variety and type, the history and the science; hops makes my blood smile. Lately I've been alcoholically ravenous. A bottle of Summit Extra Pale Ale goes in my belly in a few chugs, then on to the next one. I'm not enjoying the beer, only the buzz. So now I will only drink one beer a day.
Don't get me wrong, I'll still get rowdy off a string of martinis or a bottle of wine, I'm only putting the beer hound on the leash. I think this is a big enough change. It's a big enough change.
Labels: personal, pseudo-inspirational
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i used to made my beer at the u-brew.
usually a dark ale and i tinkered with the hops and malt to get the perfect blend of bitterness and nuttiness.
it was so good i had to quit or get a new liver.
usually a dark ale and i tinkered with the hops and malt to get the perfect blend of bitterness and nuttiness.
it was so good i had to quit or get a new liver.
One a day seems reasonable.
I've not actually had a full Guinness, only a taste, but that was enough. My friends advise me against starting out with Guinness though, because then (in their words) I'd have "nothing to work up to."
I've not actually had a full Guinness, only a taste, but that was enough. My friends advise me against starting out with Guinness though, because then (in their words) I'd have "nothing to work up to."
Your last two posts reminded me of one of my favorite Dawkins quotes from his Root of Evil documentary:
"You've just said a very revealing thing. Are you telling me that the only reason you don't steal and rape and murder is that you're frightened of God?"
I'd also like to second myself and say that Guinness is delicious.
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"You've just said a very revealing thing. Are you telling me that the only reason you don't steal and rape and murder is that you're frightened of God?"
I'd also like to second myself and say that Guinness is delicious.
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