Thursday, March 19, 2009

Getting back to BASICS

So, I watched Glen Beck again yesterday, (he and Bill O'Reily are my media role models) where he interviewed Dr. Drew Pinsky, (another, seems to be cool, down-to-earth guy). I'm not going to go in depth about the interview but rather just hit on one point. Dr. Drew spoke about how this country needs to "get back to the basics," and how our culture, in so many words is simply "lost." This truly is sad...and true. "What basics are you speaking of?," one might ask. How about core family values. Parents are afraid to be parents. They'd rather be "friends" to their children and be considered "cool and hip" rather than lay down some authority and guidance. Kids have enough friends, what they need are some good role models and mentors, hence GOOD PARENTING! I was/am fortunate in this department. My parents are good people and did a good job raising my brother and I. Did I turn out perfect? Fuck no! Did my folks make mistakes? You bet. But, as a whole, the four of us stuck to the basics and got shit done. I'll take a break for a moment to lay out my "ideal" basics list, not in any particular order and for both parents and kids:

Love, talk, and read to your kids, from day one.

Eat dinner as a family and discuss the day. Pretty simply, right?

At some point, turn off the goddamn T.V...and limit the video games (or just break the console altogether).

Have a hobby; play an instrument, dance, sing, play a sport, work with wood (for boys, not your own), work on cars, etc.

Get the FUCK OUTSIDE and kick around a ball or something. (I don't believe in Global Warming, I don't think the ozone layer is depleting that fast and I don't think that sunlight is all that bad for you. Don't believe everything you hear.) Al Gore is a tool.

Stop eating crap, i.e. processed foods, sodas, etc. People need to learn (and know) that eating clean really can make everything in your life easier. I don't care what infomercial your currently "attached" to late at night, uh "P90X," you have to transform yourself from the inside out. This starts with good, healthy food; lots of vegetables, fruit, meat, chicken, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds...you get the picture.

Exercise, or just get active. I hate gyms, but if you like em, utilize em. Personally, I think that spinning your legs on a stationary bicycle or running (for any length of time) on a treadmill is artificial and to put it bluntly, fucking stupid. The only thing running a marathon is good for is... well, running a marathon. To get away from the enemy, our Army guys, Navy SEALs, etc. are not going to run at a 6:00 minute/mile pace over a perfectly flat surface. When hunting Saber tooth Tigers thousands of years ago, our ancestors did not "pace themselves" during the chase. On a side note, I also don't believe that the previous mentioned groups lifted "light, pink and purple dumbbells" for excessive reps either. So, what am I trying to say? If you're going to run, run fast and run hard and don't do it for long time. If you want some good, natural cardio, then walk or ride a bike, but for God sakes, do it outside. Oh, and yeah, lift some heavy shit, that goes for women too. No, you're not going to get big and bulky, that's a "busted myth" from like the 80s and 90s.

Smile, help others, and be nice to people. Your day is not any worse than anybody else's.

There's so much more that I could add to this list, but I believe if people can at least get these down, other elements of their life may just be able to fall into place. Not so hard, huh? Well, obviously it is, because we're "discussing" it on the news now, which I guess makes it an issue. If we all, as Americans and as a society can quit bitching and complaining about how are lives suck and start focusing on what's important (THE BASICS), we may just be able to pull ourselves out of this cultural/economical/emotional/whateverelseical you can think of rut. Yes, their certainly are people who have the right to complain more than others. If you've lost your job, your retirement, (been fucked by Maidoff), you certainly have the right to complain. But, if you still have a job, a home, and are generating an income to pay for that home, food, or some nights out on the town, your life doesn't suck that much and you should feel fortunate.

2 comments:

BekABoo said...

Bro, what's up? Hey I figured I'd be the first to leave a comment on here. Haha your comments on Glenn Beck and all that stuff are right in line with my views. The world seems like a complicated place right now when it doesn't need to be so much. I think people have lost a lot of common sense and "keep it simple" wisdom that previous generations had. Oh well, it looks like your fitness regimine is kicking ass. I'll talk to you soon.

-Bro

BekABoo said...

Whoa! I don't know why these are posting under Bekah's blog site. Hmmm.