Blog
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To Invent Your Own Life’s Meaning
Bill Watterson, the author of the comic, Calvin and Hobbes, gave a commencement address at Kenyon College in 1990. It was recently highlighted by Zach Klein in comic form. Here is the same excerpt, as text:
Creating a life that reflects your values and satisfies your soul is a rare achievement. In a culture that relentlessly promotes avarice and excess as the good life, a person happy doing his own work is usually considered an eccentric, if not a subversive. Ambition is only understood if it’s to rise to the top of some imaginary ladder of success. Someone who takes an undemanding job because it affords him the time to pursue other interests and activities is considered a flake. A person who abandons a career in order to stay home and raise children is considered not to be living up to his potential-as if a job title and salary are the sole measure of human worth.
You’ll be told in a hundred ways, some subtle and some not, to keep climbing, and never be satisfied with where you are, who you are, and what you’re doing. There are a million ways to sell yourself out, and I guarantee you’ll hear about them.
To invent your own life’s meaning is not easy, but it’s still allowed, and I think you’ll be happier for the trouble.
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My 32nd Birthday Adventure
Back row: Jon, Taylor, Tim, Brianna
Third row: Dad, Zach, Katy, Barb
Second row: Mom, Jenni and Trygg, Me, Lindsey and Harvey, Olivia and Fiona, Peg, and Dan
Front row: Grandma7 Rogers; 5 Palomakis; 3 Quayles; 2 Jonkhoffs; 1 Kloosterman; 1 Rasumssen
Sunday started at the Double Dogleg at 9am and ended at the Birch Lodge in Trout Lake, MI. There were brief stops at Johan’s Bakery and the welcome center in Mackinaw City in between. The day’s main attraction was visiting Tahquamenon Falls, east of Paradise.
There is a brewery at the Upper Falls, where we filled our bellies and then, after the entire group viewed the upper falls, six of us (me, Lindsey, Harvey, Katy, Taylor, Dan, and Peg) set out on a four-mile hike from the Upper Falls to the Lower Falls.
We managed to get caught in the pouring rain for over an hour, which is what happens when you have cellphone-weather-app-dependent people in an area with no reception. (Woops!) We ended the hike soaked and exhausted. At least Harvey was a super sport and did great in the rain. Nothing like a little adventure to get the trip kickstarted.
That evening we went to the Buckhorn Tavern for great food and a good atmosphere. Also, it was the only one of two restaurants in town still serving at 8pm. I opened birthday presents – thank you! – and then we capped it off with Lindsey’s famous chocolate cake. It was a wonderful birthday day with close family that I will remember for a long time to come.
The transition between yesterday and today was a bit of a blur. Harvey was up his usual three times, and then suddenly it was 6am, which is “coffee time.” There was an ample supply of black gold in the Birch Bar, and, after Dad joined me a little later, we heard about the history of the bar, the Jukebox, and the lodge from the current owner, Deb. I highly recommend the Birch Lodge to anyone looking for a fun excursion to the eastern Upper Peninsula. It was a wonderful experience, and the dinner at Buckhorns and the breakfast at McGowan’s were some of the best meals I’ve had anywhere in a long time.
The temperature for the 56th Annual Mackinac Bridge Walk was 56* with at strong northwest wind as we crossed over Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Harvey did great on the walk – insisting on being held in the beginning and end, while sleeping through the middle two miles.
After saying goodbye to the walkers from the UP, we set out for the City Park Grill in Petoskey before returning to the Double Dogleg to unpack our soggy clothing and two tons of baby gear. Thanks to all who joined in the weekend fun. Here’s a link to the photos from the trip.
And, Lindsey, always remember that the “journey is in the journey.”
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Dad’s Floatilla Birthday
For dad’s birthday, dad, Katy, Taylor, me and Bob and Mary Ann participated in Floatilla 2 in Suttons Bay, MI. Lindsey, Harvey, and mom were the “support crew!” :-)
The group of 2099 kayaks and canoes set the wourld record for largest float (connected) of kayaks. The weather was beautiful. Happy Birthday, Dad!
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Dear Captain Harvey
Parents forget things, so I am writing down those moments of your childhood that we want to remember. Some of this entry, and future entries like it, may seem random or insignificant. But that is not the case. Everything about you that we have learned in these first 120 days has been amazing, humbling, and rewarding.
As I write this, you are shuffling around your crib. You can’t crawl yet, but you can scoot with your legs. The result is red knees and cheeks, and a lot of grunting. It’s all fun and games, so long as you fall asleep soon!
You have recently started discovering things – from hands and feet to the whole world around you. You love crinkle paper and grabbing the dangly toy that hangs from the baby chair at Grandma and Grandpa R’s house. You like kicking your legs while “swimming” in the pool at Grandma and Grandpa J’s. And you like TV way too much. We only let you watch Sunday golf.
You’ve started laughing recently. The washcloth tickles your chin, and certain things we say (it changes) make you giggle. It’s wonderful to hear, and we can’t wait for more. I’m sure that one day soon you’ll do many things that make us laugh.
There are so many adventures that we look forward to experiencing with you. But there is this tug-of-war between “never grow up” and “We can’t wait.” And we all know you will grow up because you’re already 16 pounds! That’s nearly double what you were when we first held you four short months ago.
I could go on for much longer, but I’ll save it for later. You’ve settled in now for a few hours of shut eye. I’ll quietly ease out of the glider and see what Mom’s up to. We love you. Goodnight.
