Bart Blog

I have started to talk with old people on my walks. Politely asking if I may speak to them about their life. Not all wanted to talk. Some did, reluctantly. I wanted to know their life story. Was there something that stood out, something they were proud of, something they remembered fondly?

I talked to seven people in total. And then stopped.

Maybe I was just unlucky in the random choice I made. But none had good things to say about their life. Mostly regret.

The common thread can be summarized as them being merely passengers in life. Looking through a window at a landscape that changes so fast you can’t remember any details. Going in a direction unbeknownst to them. Traveling with strangers, no interaction, heads down, ashamed of not knowing what or how.

I found what I was looking for. This is why I stopped. The sample is small, but telling.

The risk of becoming a passive consumer of life is much too big. I want to make something about this. Ask where we are going, talk to people, maybe leave at the next stop and choose my own direction.

I took my son to kindergarten. On my way back I saw people I could ask about their life. Not today. I rushed home to work. Shackles are strong. Regular life requires cadence and commitment, time and devotion. Maybe this is the problem. Structure that gives no free space. How to escape?

There is a stack of books on my desk. Mastery by Robert Greene is alluring. The first thing is to go back to basics. Things used to be exciting at the beginning.