I WAS ASKED TO BE GUEST SPEAKER AT A LION'S CLUB AND I WILL LET YOU LISTEN IN TO MY CONCLUDING WORDS. I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY THEY WERE ASTONISHED AT WHAT I HAD TO SAY. My host told me later that the whole town was abuzz the next day at its content. I was billed as a mobile philosopher who collected wisdom from the road.
The
final place I’ll tell you about is Saline Valley, a very remote
oasis in the desert of California, now incorporated into Death Valley
National Park. It’s been some years since I’ve been there, but
it’s so unusual I’ll tell you about it.
Folks
call it Saline Hot Springs, and it’s located about 60 miles out in
the Mojave Desert. Hot water, lots of it, pours from the top of a
small hill. Long ago, hippies built several stair-stepped concrete
hot tubs. I drove out there with a full supply of water and food.
What I saw and experienced there inspires me yet. A tiny green oasis
with grass and trees and a goldfish pond. Free camping with some
most unusual companions.
One
of the traditions there is that each tub has a conversation level;
the lower tub is for gossip and scandal and complaints. The next tub
up is for current events, sports talk, cars, movies and such. The
third tup up is where you discuss principles and politics–like
truth, beauty, etc. The fourth tub is for really deep talk:
metaphysics, religion, spirituality, ethics, the meaning of life.
I
gossiped in the lower tub, talked current events in the second, and
principles in the third. And a great conversation it was! Here’s
a sample of third tub conversation: What is money? It is condensed
energy. What is wisdom? Knowing that you don’t know. What is
progress? The increase of options. Truth? It’s what corresponds
to reality. What is creativity? Concept transfer. Imagination?
Thinking about what is not. The difference between Democrats and
Republicans? One will sacrifice a little freedom for a little more
equality. The other will sacrifice a little equality for a
little more freedom. What’s the cure for joblessness? Short
careers. For homelessness? Cheap houses. Who knows for sure the
right way to live? Nobody. Ethics is an evolving process. What we
think is right is just the current fabric of agreement.
Then
I moved on up to the fourth tub and discussed really heavy, deep
questions of metaphysics. What is the meaning of life? Best theory?
Eternity, adventuring in time; cosmic drama. Why is there evil? It
thickens the plot; drives the action (and the alternative is worse:
boredom). Why is there death? It puts urgency in life. Makes us
get on with things. What should we do with our lives? Three things:
Respond to our fascinations (some things fascinate us, some things
don’t), wake up our creativity, and become fascinating (influence
someone).
How
to deal with our problems? Consider them neither inherently good or
bad, just the next thing to do. What is the good life? Solving an
endless series of interesting problems. (The bad life is solving the
same old problems over and over.)
I
conclude by telling you a few things that I have learned. The first
is that I don’t know anything for sure. And neither does anyone
else. Our theories about life can always be improved.
That
freedom is addictive.
That
journey is more important than destination. (Movement more important
than location.)
I’ve
learned how to have a lot of friends: be interested.
How
to have no friends at all: be interesting.
That
being nice is more important than being smart.
Thank
you for your attention. I’m open to questions.
