Not too far from my hometown of Austin, TX, runs the Guadalupe River. Lots of people love to go on a hot summer day (we have a few of those down here almost every year), jump on some inner tubes and float down the river. It’s a lovely, lazy time. It’s great recreation. The beauty of tubing down the Guadalupe is that it requires nothing. You just hop in and wherever the river flows, you go. It works because everybody knows where the river flows. When you’re ready, you steer over towards shore and get out of the river.
It’s easy.
But what if it’s a metaphor for life? What if you live a go-with-the-flow life? Where does the flow go? Who decides where it goes?
“Go with the flow” is our national attitude. We used to hear, “If it feels good, do it.” Now the unspoken command is, “If it’s easy, do it.”
What’s easy? American Idol and X Factor are easy. Even the History Channel is easy. Eating cheap processed food is easy. Unquestioning acceptance of our chosen media outlet’s political views is easy. Hours upon hours on Facebook and web surfing are easy. Staying up late (usually eating the aforementioned cheap processed food and/or watching TV) and living in the fog of fatigue is easy. Gossip is easy. Telling Republicans that Democrats are lazy bums who hate God and rich people is easy. Telling Democrats that Republicans are Bible-thumping homophobic racists who want to control women’s bodies is easy.
I see the rewards of easy and they’re pitiful. Depressing. Count me out.
Whatever the opposite of a go-with-the-flow mentality is–I want that. I want to be a Free Radical. I’ve called this blog “Free. Radical. Thinking.” Here’s what I mean by “Free Radical.” There are four things that make a Free Radical:
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A Free Radical won’t be controlled by outside influences. We are so bombarded by marketing messages and various propaganda that sometimes we are completely oblivious to it. But marketers are brilliant. They know exactly what buttons to push to manipulate us to do what they want. But first, they must have our attention. Deny access to your attention. Focus on things that are productive, fulfilling, and lead to the joy and prosperity you desire. Determine where you want your life to go, make a plan to get there, and execute the plan. Practice self control. If you want to be free, you’ve got to be a bit radical.
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A Free Radical does not want to be normal. As Dave Ramsey says, normal is broke. He’s talking finances, but it applies to just about every aspect of life. Normal is not just broke, it’s also fat and out of shape. It’s intellectually lazy and profoundly uncurious. Normal goes with the flow and gets whatever bitter dish is being served by those who need sheeple to spend money. Count me out of “normal.”
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A Free Radical will accept ridicule for living a counter-cultural lifestyle. This is essential if you eschew normal. Watching almost no TV will get a lot of blank stares and funny looks (and to be fair, a few, “Wow, that’s great” comments, too). Refusing to eat in slavish compliance with the government-issued Food Pyramid will get you some raised eyebrows. Voicing thoughts contrary to the party line will get derisive scoffs. Doing anything that isn’t “normal” will spawn pressures to get back in compliance. Too bad. I’ve seen normal. Count me out. Did I mention that already?
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A Free Radical is disciplined. Try 1-3 without discipline. You’ll be done in about 5 minutes.
Of course, I could not write and publish these things if I have not mastered them. Thank you so much for noticing! (Umm, how do you make the written word unmistakably sarcastic?)
I aspire to be a Free Radical.
What attributes am I missing?
Talk to me.
