The Adventurer Stays Home

We, most of us, live lives of quiet mediocrity.  No great claims, no great adventures.  The goal it seems is to make some money, have a family and grow old slowly.  I don't find this vision ideal, and I'm sure I'm not alone.  

I think the root cause of this discontent is that there is no adventure for most of us.  I became painfully aware of this in my own life after I graduated college and began to notice that the one thing I truly looked forward to in my life was Friday: I live friday to friday.  Why?  Because it means I can sleep in, go biking, not work, blah-blah whatever.  Its no way to live, forsaking everything in between, the other days of the week only looking forward to one day for rather mundane reasons.  

The funny thing is society tells me I'm doing alright; I have a respectable job, making 'ok' money for my age and I'm glad for it sure, but its hard to ignore the persistent little voice that declares there must be something more exciting out there.  Its curious how this system we all accept tells us to graduate from school as soon as possible, get a job, have kids, and buy a house.  For what?  The 20's are the prime years of our lives, when we are at our strongest, our most resilient, and best suited for something great.  Yet no they say, chain a few anchors around your neck and stay home.  Adventures are for other people.

I think its easy to forget that we only live once.  Back when my mind was muddled by religion I use to think that it would be alright if I didn't change the world in this life because after I died I'd get to do more things, I'd get another chance.  Fortunately now I see that idea as childish notion.  

The movers and shakers throughout human history have been people who bucked the trends of their time; they weren't content to stay home, they were the culture creators not nihilists or sheep, they set about to change minds not have their minds changed.  Its easy to respect them, not so easy to see ourselves doing the same.  Sure, not many of us will do anything great on a societal level, but we are all capable of existential adventure.  I believe the key lies somewhere in not being too content with current circumstances and knowing ones own limits. Its ironic how most of us dream big as children when we are capable of little and then dream very little as adults when we are capable of much.  

For now the adventurers stay home.  Hopefully not for too long.