Bits of Wisdom #2
I met Seeker at the coffee shop my wife worked at. Seeker is a moniker only Seeker would understand. He’s in his late 40’s from North Va, an area code with a lot of wealth and political power. There’s more background here that dispels the notion he was a “rich kid” that had it easy, but I’m not going to air out his whole life. When I told him I was from Newport News we had a quick bond, though we’re from two vastly different backgrounds of the same state. He came up in the 80’s with skateboarding, hip-hip, hardcore and graff, there’s a bridge between us beyond where we were born. It was natural getting to know one another because my parents were into the same shit in the 80’s and around the same age as Seeker.
Seeker is a bit of a mentor to me at this point and though we have a different outlook politically, it’s all love. By politically I mean a point of view that we see certain cultural things through. Talking to Seeker has calmed my reactionary reflexes and helps makes me think of good arguments. Often, when we’ve kicked it I’ve found myself extremely stoned and second guessing my quick and blunt reactions to our culture that I find generally debased. I still have my opinions - my gut reaction to things, but my talks with Seeker have helped me put them in a context of empathy, which is a much better place for criticism to come from. Cultural bullshit is a small part of what we talk about, but I thought it was worth mentioning. Usually our conversations morph into philosophy or the nature of life, more importantly stuff we enjoy about life. If you see us at the coffee shop you’ll see me with a note book and pen literally taking notes when we talk, Seeker smokes a cigarette and drinks an espresso, talking slow and casual.
One time we were talking about the general nihilistic tone of our time and he told me, “I only think about problems I can solve. Everything I can’t solve isn’t a problem for me.”
The best thing you can do for someone is teach them how to think, subtly, without making them feel judged or weak.
On a different note, Seeker, who has passive income and plenty of expensive gear and cars told another, younger, rich guy “Don’t be so rich you dress poor.” Which, is just funny to me. I know all of these people through a coffee shop downtown and the guy that Seeker said this to wears all designer, but the kind of designer that looks like it was bought at Ross.
Peace.