Lemonade?

Artists bet their emotional capital, with the world as their voyeur and critic. 

I cannot imagine living life removed from the action. I want to taste life, smell it.  So today I live in a world of risk, a world of the first person.

If I am to live so dangerously, I cannot waste time.  

If there is just one message I must spread, then it must be the message of the RV lifestyle. The RV lifestyle is simply this: Slow down and enjoy the ride. Every minute of your life is exactly one minute, nothing you can do to change it, might as well enjoy it. Live in the moment.

I realize the RV lifestyle is in direct opposition to the mandate of modern business genius. Or is it?

Business demands ever-higher productivity from the same resources. A corporation’s responsibility is to return value to the investor. Yeah, well, how about lifestyle? What’s that return worth? What’s working for a great company worth? What's having a great company in your town worth? What's quality worth to the investor? In order to make less into more, you have to make more out of less. How do you do it? Simple, you slow down.

Things get better when you slow down. Don’t believe me? Ask my wife.

I would argue America should be enormously happy with the astounding wealth and freedom we have, yet I see a country where people are nervous, contentious and bickering.  I "driveway camp" with friends in different neighborhoods, and there are always vacant foreclosed homes. I can find them in every town from the dead lawn and the paper notice on the door.  Too bad we have to crash to slow down. Too bad we are going so fast we can’t enjoy what we have.

Our economy is based on a full-steam-ahead model, rather than a best speed model. Unfortunately that means that if our economy varies, or goes slower for a while, people can suddenly find themselves in ruin, (while still incredibly rich by the world’s standards).  They can be taken down to the depths, and some even take their own lives from the oppressive weight.

Beware my gentle friends. 

Let them race ahead, let them grab it all and try to keep it. Be prepared for the outrage of people who can’t *insert whatever* anymore. People will be genuinely upset.  It will only get crazier.  Don’t be so surprised.

Stay, find some shade, and sit a while. Let it go. Your problems will all be there for you tomorrow.  Take a minute to look around and see how good you really do have it.  You can’t make friends until you stop to talk to somebody.

Lemonade?