In all of Jack Nicholson’s storied filmography, there are few roles he’s taken that I can point to and say, “he definitely did that one for the paycheck.” Sure, there might be plenty where I can say, “he did that one because of drugs,” or, “I can see how that might have been a good script before rewrites,” but there’s really only one that exemplifies his desire for cash money. And that’s the date-within-your-age-group PSA known as Something’s Gotta Give.
Just kidding, guys. Not everything I write has to start off with a metaphor or a story.
When I posted the Do you have a life quiz, I hadn’t actually taken it. I had an idea of what my ranking would be, but when I did take it, the results were quite a bit worse. I landed at a solid 47, which, according to my own assessment, means this:
46 – 52 Primed to explode
A little high-strung, are we? Your priorities are too focused on one aspect of your life: work. Whether it’s because you like it too much or hate it with a passion, you need to find a better outlet for your energy. With all the stuff you do, you’re burning the candle at both ends and stretching yourself far too thin. Use up some of those vacation days, or take a sick day if you have to. If you don’t have time just to relax, you’ll begin to unravel. Life isn’t all about being serious and professional. Take it easy once in a while!
Here I was, thinking I was a fairly easy-going guy, but not too much of a workaholic. But between two jobs, the blog, social engagements, chores around the house, unexpected crises and a few other projects, I’ve begun spreading myself too thin.
So, I figured that I should cut something out of my daily life. The problem is, I don’t want to.
I spend about an hour or two per day digesting media. Books, magazines, newspapers (yes, I still read those), radio, TV and the Internet are all vying for time on my schedule. And while it’s important to be knowledgeable about current (and past) events, it’s not ultimately necessary. The whole media fast thing didn’t work out so well for me, so perhaps a different approach is required.
I’ve long held the belief that my near-encyclopedic knowledge of movies, music, TV, books, comics, Internet memes and history was a good thing. Being able to answer over 90% of the answers correctly on any given game show seemed like it could be a good life skill, if I ever decided to be on a game show. It’s been something that I enjoy. But now that I think about the sheer volume of gray matter devoted to the intricacies of Spider-Man’s history or the second season of Scrubs, I’m starting to wonder if it’s really beneficial.
I’ve talked before about the finite level of intelligence that we all have versus the infinite level of cumulative knowledge we possess as a society, but is there much utility to be gained from recalling the names of the original Pokemon or identifying landmarks mentioned in the Sherlock Holmes series in my day-to-day? Besides brain-tickling factitude, what do I get out of absorbing this material?
The problem is that I like learning these things. I enjoy reading up on new stuff. The act of sprouting bon mots out of nowhere is a part of my personality. So even if it’s the part that I should get rid of, it’s going to be a long, arduous and concentrated process.
You know what? I think I’ll just quit sleeping instead. That seems like it’ll be easier.
