How to be a Better Person
This is how I have made my life more fulfilling. Give it a try if it sounds appealing.
Know
Contrary to popular belief, learning is very very cool. Do me a favor;
take a look around to be sure that nobody worth impressing with "the dumb act"
is within the immediate area. Okay, now that the coast is clear, admit that you are
honestly interested in "stuff." Whether it be the human genome project, the
evolution of democracy, how to become a sponsored snowboarder, or any of a million other
worldly phenomena, YOU find particular areas of life captivating and want to know more
about them. So know more. Read. The following, my friends, is the fantastic reality of
knowledge in print: Someone had such a great idea and/or depth of knowledge in a certain
area that s/he took the time to write it down and bring it to a publisher, thinking it was
valid enough to share with the world. The publisher, an expert in "catchy"
ideas, thought that this idea and/or depth of knowledge would be intere$ting enough to
other people (read: lucrative) that s/he was willing to invest in it (or generously expose
it for free, in the case of a nonprofit organization). Drumroll please. Presently, an
infinite number of brilliant ideas and bases of knowledge are easily accessible, in the
form of "the book," to the curious eyes of everyday people. Why not explore, in
depth, something that has always secretly, or even openly, fascinated you? Knowledge is
power. Fortify your mind through reading. Can I get an amen? For the extra hip, who are
still skeptical of the reality that learning is cool, I am willing to throw in a little
added bonus. Just for you, the price of knowledge has been slashed to nonexistence. (Is
that the song "falling to pieces," that I hear playing in the background?)
Trillions of wonderful ideas, soon to be the new "in" in "in," are
being given away at absolutely no cost. You heard me right, folks; that's a price-tag of
$0.00! All you need is a library card or free internet access, and the world is yours. Why
not conquer it?
Do
You have a body. Use it to the full extent of its capabilities. I suppose most of you have
already taken care of this mission, in part, by being passionately involved in
snowboarding, skateboarding, or even an impressive combination of the two. If not, get
passionately involved. It is an amazing feeling to partake in an activity that one finds
incredibly rewarding and, additionally, to progress in it through persistence and
devotion. But enough about that because I'm probably telling you something you already
know. Let me tell you about something you may have never realized you can use your body
for. Right up there with knowledge, activism is supremely cool. Just as you are driven to
understand certain aspects of life, you hold compassion for certain aspects of life.
Whether it be animal rights, human rights, or skateboarder's rights, there is something in
this world that you care about besides yourself. So get involved. Volunteer. There are a
million organizations that need your help. Contact your local soup kitchen, animal
shelter, or Food Not Bombs chapter. Set up a fund to build a local skate-park. Support
programs that bring snowboarding to inner-city kids. Maybe it's intimidating to make that
first phone call or take that first walk toward "the big activism H.Q.," but
it's intimidating for everyone. Distinguish yourself from the whole and be someone
different. Share with others the fortune, material or other, that you have been blessed
with. Spread the wealth. It's an invaluable experience.
Feel
There's the kid who has been dubbed the dumb jock by the dumb
alterna-athlete. There's the kid who has been dubbed the dumb freak-alterna-athlete by the
dumb jock. There's the kid who has been dubbed the dumb hippie by both the dumb jock and
the dumb alterna-athlete. But there is more to everyone than just a dumb label. This one
is going out to all of you who are caught in the dumb label phase; everyone has a soul.
Find yours. I realize that it is a rather daunting and embarrassing prospect to admit
one's "depth" or expose one's true self to others. Realize, however, that your
spiritual mission, if you choose to accept it, can be neatly concealed in a "personal
and confidential" envelope. Meditate. Go for walks in the middle of the night. Fall
in love. Pray. Listen to or play music. Do whatever it takes to get things deep down
inside sweatin' to the oldies. And do so in the privacy of utter solitude, if need be.
Live a fulfilling life. Listen to and follow you heart. Make choices you are proud of, and
when you make the wrong choices, learn from most of them and laugh at the others. Last but
not least, whatever you choose to do with you life, don't be a hippie.
-Rachel Cotton