"I am not one who was born in the custody of wisdom. I am one who is fond of olden times and intense in quest of the sacred knowing of the ancients." Gustave Courbet

18 December 2024

Religious.

Firchau, Rain Shadow, 2013


Life's biggest tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.

Benjamin Franklin

For best results ...
  • Slow down every single aspect of daily life (avoid pop culture and mass-media, take your TV to the dump, cook as many meals as possible on a charcoal grill, and take the scenic route to work).
  • Open windows.
  • Get outside and breathe deeply: eat outside, read outside, ride a bike outside (in cotton shorts and an old t-shirt, without a helmet), walk outside (in the woods, in the early morning and late at night, without a flashlight), sleep outside.
  • Climb trees, then read and exclaim poetry while you're up there.
  • Feed and admire birds.
  • Go barefoot.
  • Make wood fires, appreciating their smell and meditative properties.
  • Swim in creeks and lakes.
  • Draw in a sketchbook, with a pencil, sharpened with a pocketknife.
  • Listen to more AC⚡DC and Mozart horn concertos than you usually do. Turn the volume up.
  • Cook at home and, as much as politely possible, eat with your fingers.
  • Smile. Look people in the eye and greet them with a hearty handshake. Laugh.  Tell jokes.  
  • Read books that are older than you.
Performed with religious dedication, these exercises will reverse the aging process and redefine your understanding of wisdom.

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