The Endangered Renaissance Men

Today, as I was sitting in some meeting at work, I took stock of the world since this meeting was far from enthralling. As my head lulled around like my neck was made of pasta and my eyes turned inside my head desperately searching for something to occupy my mind, it became apparent to me that my generation (20 something) is a generation of one hit wonders. In other words, it's a generation where most individuals can only do one thing (if anything) worth anything to anybody. For example, I am sort of an "engineer," and this is the only occupation I can perform to achieve maximum profit while contributing something valuable to my employer. Other people, who have made extremely poor choices, must work at fast food chains because their skill set only allows them to perform menial tasks. The point I am trying to emphasize is that we (as in my pathetic, pampered, and lazy generation) does not contain many (if any) Renaissance Men.

So..."What is a Renaissance Man?" you ask. Wikipedia, a great reputable undeniable source, equates "Renaissance Man" with Polymath: someone who excels in multiple fields, especially the arts and sciences. Polymath is in turn equated with Philomath: a seeker of knowledge. The greatest example of a Renaissance Man/Polymath is the originator of the term Leonardo D'Vinci. For those of you who don't know who Leonardo D'Vinci is, you should probably go stand in front of traffic right now. Leonardo was an engineer/designer/artist extraordinaire who although held back by his mother's "whore" status, religion and the royal powers of Europe (primarily Italy), excelled in multiple fields and at the very least, stirred the imagination and abilities of others. A Renaissance Man, then, is almost like a lightening rod, whose knowledge can be transferred to others through amazing work and concepts.

Another notable Renaissance Man/Polymath is Benjamin Franklin, a founding father of the United States. Franklin's pursuits consisted of politics, electricity, printing newspapers, and of course, banging French chicks. The latter pursuit is by far the most admirable, especially considering his age and appearance. Franklin was not alone in his time, since Thomas Jefferson also had many talents in the realms of architecture, archaeology, higher education, and of course, banging slaves.

Now why do I go on and on about a bunch of dead men? Well that is precisely the point, they are dead. Who has picked up their enlightened torch in our generation. Sure, you can look to your grandparents or perhaps even your parents for extraordinary multi-tasking individuals, but where are they in you. Can you paint, build a house, hunt wild game, and play music? Well of course you can't do all those things since they require time and therefore money. The Renaissance Man outlasted pirates and cowboys but is now a dying breed in today's world of unscrews excess and laziness.

Why should you learn to play music or get multiple educations, since it is so much easier to sit and watch some bullshit on MTV? Besides, you have to go to some crappy job everyday just to make ends meet. Where would one have the time, money, and energy to become something more? I guess at the least, we (my crappy generation) can try to do at least one more thing of worth to somebody, most importantly ourselves. There is no reason for man to become nothing but a robot designed to buy crap and work pointless jobs to pay for said crap, but the responsibility falls on the individual. The individual lets his dreams wilt and die and become nothing in the dirt of life. The individual buries himself in mistakes and never recovers, breathing through the straw of pity. The individual is the one who fights to live and become something more to himself and hopefully the world. Multiple pursuits can safeguard individuals from the eventual lay-off here or the unforeseen accident there. If Leonardo broke his legs, he could always paint and sell his art to royalty at the very least. If Franklin suffered brain damage he could still have sex with loose French women. Those men, although fortunate on some levels, still had to work to be what they were. Perhaps with a little effort, some of the apathetic beaten 20 somethings can become lightening rods for other apathetic 20 somethings. Besides, it can't be that hard to bang European women.

Occupational Hazards

Ever since I started my new "job" people have asked me "So what do you do?" To that, I can respond with only several answers partially due to the nature of my position. One of these responses is of course "Nothing. Nothing at all." Another probable response is "Pointless monkey-work suitable for a lobotomized Jack Nicholson." Three, "Wasting my life." Four, "Killing myself at a desk." Five, "I can't tell you or I will I have to kill you."

The truth probably lies somewhere in between all these answers. I don't particularly like my job, but then again, I probably don't like anything that can be deemed a "job." I do like getting paid and I do like supporting myself. Even if I achieved one of those dream jobs like Rock Star, Video Game Tester, Professional Sports Hero (however unlikely) and other worthless contributors to society, some aspect of that job at one point would get to me. To be a Rock Star, for instance, requires near endless touring schedules which can become grueling and tiring. Thanks to Behind the Music, I know most real Rock Stars eventually hate touring and they eventually hate pumping out album after album. Another negative aspect of being a rock star is compromise. A Rock Star must make concessions to his band-mates, manager, recording engineers, producers, publicists, etc. These concessions can be in the form of lyric changes, calculated radio friendly songs, wardrobe, public persona, etc. Plus Rock Stars must REALLY watch out for venereal diseases. In the end such concessions and potential crotch diseases, at least for a weak man, can break his spirit and suck his passion for the music. Proof of this lies in the near countless souls that were broken on the shores of Rock Stardom. Reo Speedwagon, Journey, Warrant, Jefferson Airplane/Starship, MC Hammer, Milli Vanalli, Vanilla Ice, Dave Mustaine, Cliff Burton, Iron Butterfly, and even Weezer all lost friends, money, dreams, passion, and even their lives to the occupation of Rock Star. The majority of the people that achieve the exalted position of Rock Star suffered and lost. The numbers don't lie. Being a half-assed "engineer" is by far more stable than being a Rock Star.

To continue the comparison, a Video Game Tester could also run into disheartening difficulties on the job. The obvious problem would be to test the countless horrible games day in and day out where your faith not only in Video Game Publishers but in humanity itself is questioned. Furthermore, this job could make something that is fun for others, merely tedious for the tester. One day after not reporting his findings to his manager, the cops find the tester face down in a pile of his own waste with foam pouring out of his mouth. Of course this is a fictional supposition of how this job could be, but I have a feeling it is fairly accurate.

SO.....These "dream" jobs, can and have been far from any sort of dream for numerous individuals. Sure, my job kind of sucks and I am so alone it is not even funny anymore, but screw it. At least I am not in the process of tarnishing a dream that is impossible to achieve. More power to anyone with the balls to shoot for a dream, but don't come crying to me when you hate playing music and have contracted HIV. As a warning to those who give a damn about me, do not expect me to talk about my job and if I do, do not expect it to be positive and enlightening in any way. The majority of people hate their jobs and their lives, so it seems I might have entered that majority. But its not over yet. Maybe when gene therapy is actually available I can add 50 years onto my life and make this waste null and void.

Back from the .....Present.........

Yes, I'm back with an all new blog and a new crappy position in life. I decided to restart this outlet of written expression to, at the very least, exercise whatever pathetic writing skills I have left. So read it if you want to or if you want to stare into the depths of your soul and discover that you are in fact Satan. Let's face it. You are. Get over it and start Armageddon you lazy bastard.

Let me set some new ground rules:
1. I will try to keep my bitching about how I am a worthless human being to a minimum.
2. If you have something to say, go ahead and post it because you will never offend me. However, that is not to say you won't offend someone who does not have my jaded view on life/humanity.
3. If you read my posts, you will lose your mind. So proceed at your own will, you have been warned.
4. MTV, VH1, G4tv and FOX networks were created by Satan, and by that I mean you. Yes, you. No not you, the red idiot with the horns. Yes, you. So quit screwing with us and just take over the Earth already.....bastard.
5. Rule number 4 is actually not a rule at all.
6. People who get plastic/cosmetic surgery for purely cosmetic reasons and not to correct either birth defects or severe injuries are full of shit. So if you are a 130 lb, 5'8 white girl you don't need liposuction. Stop eating chocolate all the time and go for a jog. Its much cheaper......Idiot.
7. My friends are awesome/idiots. No, that is not contradictory.
8. I am an idiot.
9. Earth is God's FOX network and he only gets one crappy channel.

.........Ok, that seems like a good start. If this garbage actually appeals to you, go ahead and spread it around like so much herpes on the Baltimorean Population.