The unexamined life sucks.
As a little kid, the idea floated around the playground that, if all the Chinese people on earth lined up and jumped off a cliff, the line would never end.
The reason was (obnoxiously) simple: births in the cue would exceed the deaths at the ledge.
It’s a stupid idea, for a thousand reasons. But for a child, it sparked many questions — “What did all those people do while shuffling forward?” “Why would people line up that way? And the “Why wouldn’t the people stop and leave the line?”
Time passed, I evolved, but the questions stuck with me.
Last year, I interviewed a (highly) decorated Army helicopter pilot that served during the Vietnam War. It was typical of my style; resource intensive. But input and output have a relationship - we reap what we invest, right?
For sure, his stories of combat were riveting. But to take them on face value and not go deeper was/is akin to skipping dinner and feasting on the dessert.
Through this kind of work, I've learned 'good nutrition' is complex, dynamic, and requires disciplined intention.
Studying the man’s DD214, his award citations, and even learning of his wife's adoration gave me great insight into the man he was, the man he became, and now is.
"The war" was only a chapter in a much greater book.
And yet, I was stunned to hear…
“So what do people think when they learn about what you did? What you accomplished?”
“Think?” He questioned rhetorically. “I really don’t know.”
“Then what do YOU think when you’re asked about your life?”
“Not sure about that either!”
“Why not?”
“Because... no one’s asked.”
Two thoughts.
1. Today is a good day to commit to a life of significance by realizing that life, great or small, has significance to positively affect the lives to come. What we do, matters.
2. Today, 29 March, is National Vietnam War Veterans Day. Chances are good that you know someone who served during the time. Pick up the phone, walk across the street, write the email… and ask: “Will you describe for me how the Vietnam War shaped you?”
Socrates supposedly said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
Yet, just one question can lead to a new and extraordinary life.
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| I'll get around to filling in the details of the man in the circle... I hope. |
