Does anybody really know what time it is? Does anybody really care?

Sometimes I think that 80% of the things we claim we 'need to do' is just a bunch of b.s. to keep us sane.

I found a last minute flight to Utah to go skiing this weekend, and as I think about the things I 'needed to do' over the weekend (and obviously won't be doing) I realize that none of them are a true need...they are various things that I don't actually want to do, so they get classified as needs...but, unlike eating or breathing, they are not needs.

When I was 16 I spent 26 (I think? maybe 27 or 28) days in the wilds of Utah. Aside from being the most challenging thing I have ever done in my life, it was also the most amount of time I have ever spent outside 'civilization'. While on the trip I remember one of my instructors saying: "People often think of this as an escape from the real world. But this is the real world."

I have often thought about that at random times throughout my life. Sometimes when doing something as luxurious as using toilet paper; other times when overlooking a beautiful vista.

Ironically it has taken my retuning to Utah to finally get it. Never before has the impact of what he was saying meant so much than now. While I have occasionally thought about it, I never felt the meaning of it until I was categorically going through the litany of 'things I need to do' before I leave, and when I get back, and next week, and next weekend, and the week after that, and the month after that, and the year following.

What really matters? While clearly a deeply philosophical question , I don't need to be waxing poetic for 300 words about it. I just think the asking of the question; really asking yourself - is the important and relevant part.

For instance, if I decided that eating and breathing really matter, then should I not make sure I am eating healthy foods that will nourish my body rather than chips and salsa for dinner three nights in a row? Inevitably, I will not prioritize what I feel really matters because I don't have time, or I don't feel like going to the grocery store right now, or someone is coming over later, or I've been at work late, or, or, or.

So the challenge is this: defining what your real needs are and then keeping them in focus. Not that you should disregard all social norms; after all, smelling good (i.e. shower and clean clothing) is a need for those around you. Seriously.

Song of the Day: Responsibility - MXPX