A Paradigm Shift...

Never thought I would actually use a word I learnt in a philosophy course. Well things change. I know, I know this next post is going to get a little personal - a little sloppy - but what the fuck!?! If you can't express your emotions then who are you?

So GajCo being all stressed out about shit, decided to take a midnight stroll through the neighbourhood (which is cool considering the white picket fences everywhere - thank god I don't live in Malvern anymore! It's surprising at the gun violence out here - I'm sure it was a lot worse in Cali... but they just don't advertise it the way they do here!).

Anyways, I came to a realization... As a kid I used to say, "There are 3 pleasures in Life... Food, Alcohol, & Sex". I was usually quoted as saying "in that specific order as well ;)" I used to think that the meaning of life was to enjoy yourself - to have fun... earn money to enjoy. Enjoy via... yeap, you got it: Food, Alcohol, Sex.

But I realized something tonight... during my stroll. These 3 things don't promote your life - instead they poison it! Come to think of it - I've been poisoning myself for close to the last 10 years!

Food: Yes, it's great. I love it. It tastes sooooo good. It satisfies you - a large meal, followed by mouth watering dessert! If anyone enjoys food it is me. No wonder I've been over weight for so long - in fact, I've recently started bingeing again! But really - what does food cost? It's poison to your arteries, poison to your body - poison to your colon! And someone like me - who is at risk for cancer (especially colon cancer - in the genes), I'm one for lusting over food! (for that matter I'm an idiot for smoking - even if it was for a very short period!).

Alcohol: Yeah, I'm quite the hoot when I'm drunk. Usually a good drunk - until of course someone tips the tea pot a little (but that's a different story). I've loved alcohol from the first day I drank (at the tender age of ~16). I had a fake id then & have probably drank more up until now, than most tame adults at the age of 35. Shit - that definitely can't be good for my body! I've poisoned my liver & again probably my colon & digestive system. I'm such a good drunk, I can tell when I've had alcohol poisoning & at that point can force myself to throw-up (when you throw-up it is your body reacting to alcohol poisoning - I catch it before my body decides to do it on it's own). That can't be good. I've lusted on alcohol quite a bit in my past.

Sex: This is a touchy subject. Not that I am condemming sex. But Lust for sex. It poisons the mind. It leads to cheating, betrayal, lust instead of or over love. All the good stuff that soap opera's are made of. And the drama & pain that comes / goes along with it. lol. Some might know that I've had my fair share of "drama". But in the end Lust for Sex - poisons the mind (that's all I'm getting into seeing that this is a public blog!).

So in the end - I've realized that Food, Alcohol, & Sex really just poison your arteries, liver, and mind. Then I started wondering.... what is the meaning of life (considering I had scraped my old paradigm). Then it hit me!

Enlightenment! Knowledge, Understanding. Us humans are evolved species (which might also be up for debate or discussion). But as an engineer, or more so as a scientist (or more so an engineer?? whatever...). More so as humans, we are constantly trying to improve ourselves. Making life simpler - getting a snow blower instead of shoveling, a fuel efficent car over walking. Life is all about learning, knowledge and enlightenment! The purpose of life is to learn about everything around us. Be it learn about our neighbours, how our family works, how our friends work, how our cars work, how the stock market works, how taxes work. It is all really a learning process - that is life! And the meaning of life is to gain enlightenment from the knowledge we acquire! And that is life!