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Overwhelming Options of a Nomad or What Would Jack Do?
All he needed was a wheel in his hand and four on the road”— Jack Kerouac, On the Road
Jack Kerouac romanticized being a nomad — someone who is willing to go anywhere, do what they like, and invent a life that makes them happy. Sounds wonderful doesn’t it? Jack ended up being an alcoholic and dying young. I fell for the romanticism.
Being on the road requires sifting through options. Despite the wanderlust, in reality being a nomad is living life. Life choices can be wretched if I see them as doing without rather than defining affirmation. When I go down that path of wretchedness I inevitably ask myself, what happens if I don’t choose wisely? I don’t want to be like the poor schlubs in the Indiana Jones movie or worse, like Kerouac, despite his permanent place as a brilliant writer.
Deciphering Options
Happiness is a function of accepting what is. — Werner Erhard
I can be content regardless of condition. That’s Zen. But life is a series of choosing options. This compels me to do research on my options. This inevitably contributes to overwhelm. Consideration of all my options delays my decision. I put it off for fear of making a bad choice I’ll regret. What a conundrum.
