Day 172 - Careless

While at the movie theater yesterday, there were a couple commercials that caught my attention.

(Why we have to sit through commercials AND trailers when we've already paid to get in is a rant for another day.)

The first commercial featured one of the "Girls Next Door" girls as the spokesperson for an online movie ticket purchasing site. Ok, when was the last time this girl paid for anything, let alone a movie ticket? When was the last time she was on a computer?And who is taking advice from this woman? And what marketing genius green lighted using her in their spot? Wrong person, wrong demographic, wrong product. What has she done? Taken every third shift sleeping with Hugh Hefner. That's it. That qualifies her to be spokesperson for rubber gloves. Maybe Silkwood Shower Gel.

The other commercial was an anti-drug, anti-alcohol Public Service Announcement. It was about not getting busted, or hungover, and ruining your summer. The tagline was "Have a carefree summer."

"Carefree" was what rattled around in my head on the way to the loo for my ritualistic pre-movie pee. "Carefree". Is that something I'd really want to be?

I care about a lot of things, like my kids, my family, my friends, the GF, my city/state/country, our bitchin' little planet, the state of American Open Wheel racing, my dog, my house, the world economy, and recently motorcycle safety, among other things.

Without care, what would we be? What would our lives be like? I guess we'd all be narcissistic nihilists, just looking out for ourselves, doing what we want, when we want, just because it's what we want.

Nihilists from The Big Lebowsky.

Funny, but not exactly role models.

I'm pretty sure what they were going for was "Worry free". That I can get behind.

I used to be a worrier. I worried about everything. All the time. I worried about my kids. I worried about work. I worried about money. I worried about running, about not running. I worried about natural disasters, famine, poverty, violence, disease.

I worried whether my significant other was happy/sad/bored/overwhelmed/safe/honest/settling/looking. If she was expecting something of me that I wasn't delivering, or needing something from me that I wasn't providing. And for what? I spent more time and energy worrying about the relationship than wondering if it was right for me.

I still care about most of those things up there. But I don't worry about them. There's a difference.

Caring is having an opinion and/or looking for, and/or wishing good for someone or something. Worry is a waste.

Worry is practicing your reaction to bad things that will almost surely never happen, or things that are inevitable. Either way, it's a waste of time and energy. Either take action, or let it go.

If you spend your time worrying, you'll miss out on your life... you know, that thing that actually happens while you're worrying what might happen.

Good running,
Doug

Numbers: 2.0 miles on the track before practice.