The three letters SOS by themselves technically stand for nothing. When used together in morse code (an easy three dots, three dashes and three dots), it is simply a signal or plea for help originally used first in 1909 by the Arapahoe (not the Titanic first as widely believed) and later replaced by the currently used 'Mayday'. Many people have assigned the words, 'Save our Ship' or Save our Souls' among others, to give the term a more understandable meaning.
So why the history lesson on April Fool's day of this so far un-read blog? (my only "follower" is my girlfriend - who I applaud for even wanting to read this mess - isn't she great?) Quite simply that is what I (and I am sure many others) are saying! SOS! When a ship begins to get into trouble and sinking is imminent, I sincerely doubt everyone stands on the deck and plays cards. They pump out the water, get rid of excess weight - in short they try to save their ship! Sure they send out the signal because they know they need help...its no different for me or those other 1/3 life crisis people not reading this. We throw out the signal and in the meantime, think of and act on every possible scenario to keep us afloat.
I am a certified Private Pilot since 2001 (I know - the FAA gave ME a license??) and if my engine dies at 8000ft, I'm not going to reach into my flight bag for my diet dr. pepper and think, "Wow this tastes good, almost like regular dr. pepper - wait I can't tell the difference". If I did think that, those would probably be my last thoughts and I'm not ready to go yet. I am going to follow (or probably forget) everything I learned in flight school and get that plane on the ground safely, (left to right, left to right - the way my instructor taught me to check everything and get the plane restarted)!!
In my case today, SOS means exhausting every last avenue for a career, opportunity - way to bring in income to keep myself alive! Keep my brain active, take time to smell the roses, enjoy the beauty of running water and deep oceans! I sometimes ask myself why I didn't just ditch it all and go live in a cave in Daniel Suelo - a man who in a nutshell gave up everything in 2000 and lives in a cave in Utah, scavenges dumpsters, searches for food among the underbrush and finds animals (dead or alive) for meals. A college educated, presumably intelligent individual doing this seems crazy to many people - and to me, to some extent, it does as well. It is an extreme. Why? Simply because he represents a statistical outlier in the world of human existence. This isn't a good or bad thing. I admire him for persevering through his life as much as I do those who work three jobs in urban America to support their children or families. Who are we to say the rich or the destitute don't deserve what they have or lack and where they are in the world? There is no finite definition to much of what is said here. The truth is that there is always the exception and always the rule. An argument can be equally demonstrated on both sides of the table if one is well-educated.
That all said, what I want, I deserve just like what anyone in the world wants, they deserve. Sure many may give up this right by doing something to hinder their futures and yes some people are born into awful situations and find that they are forced into what they do and can only dream of a better world. I often think about what I was born into and why. How did I come to live in the United States with the family I did? What is my purpose in life? How did I even know to ask that question? Ok I'll stop on the philosophical and existentialism rants....for now.
I also wanted to explain two names in relation to my writing. Nikola Tesla and Mordecai Lincoln. Tesla is the father of modern day alternating current among hundreds if not thousands of other inventions - anyone with half a brain can look that up. Patents were reversed as recent as 1999 against Edison for stealing Tesla's works. Not to say Edison wasn't a brilliant inventor, I personally hold Tesla higher in terms of integrity. He was also probably, at least to some degree, was "mentally interesting" - not that this is bad thing at all. I consider myself a little on the line (over the line on some days) but I also like to think that with a little mental instability (I call it inspiration), comes brilliance. I admire Tesla for taking the many chances he did including moving all the way from his native Serbia in the Austrian empire (modern-day Croatia) to Colorado Springs. Imagine that move more than a hundred years ago! A personal goal of mine is to visit his laboratory in Colorado one day. Just to stand where he may have once stood, maybe I'll see a little better. As for Mordecai Lincoln, there have been many with this name. The one I refer to and use as a pen name to this blog along with Tesla's, is a direct relative and descends from the same lineage as President Lincoln, specifically Pres. Lincoln's father, Thomas. My grandmother researched long ago, before computers and of course the internet, a chart that shares my name along with the greatest President our country ever saw. My first response to that is what an honor it is to share such a legacy and wow do I need to step it up a bit to fill his size 14 shoes. My second thought is it's too bad I can't use President Lincoln as a personal reference on my current applications - I might have actually received a few emails or callbacks by now - or they would think I was delusional. As for my real identity, does anyone really care? Unless of course you are a prospective employer, I'll be more than happy to share!
So off I go to finish my daily scouring for jobs, checking final emails, making phone calls. I read an article early this morning that said (according to their study - remember I studied psychology and statistics to a high degree and everything I read I scrutinize) people who are in jobs they highly dislike are actually more stressed and unhappy than those who unwillingly are unemployed as measured by higher cortisol levels and low levels of blood glucocorticoids. At least those very unhappy stressed out people can pay their bills right? I wonder if they go home to their significant others (if they have any) and are as stressed out as I am when mine comes home? The upside is according to the study, my bones aren't decreasing in mass as fast as theirs. I'm pretty sure stress is in the eye of the beholder.
It's Friday - its beautiful and sunny - I don't think I've seen the sun for (at least what feels like) weeks - for those of you who aren't reading this (everyone but my girlfriend) that are fortunate enough to work, you just may have two days off! Go play outside!
Just remember, "Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after." ~Henry David Thoreau.
When I go fishing this weekend (which I often love to do at a farm I know), I'm sure I'll think of Thoreau and hopefully if I catch anything, it won't be a fish.
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