Category: Philosophy

Life balance does not come automatically [Reddit]

From my reply to a discussion in r/ZenHabits on Reddit.

You will not accidentally stumble into life balance. If you feel calm and focused when you’re with your child, it’s because your actions are in alignment with your priorities. When you’re doing the million other things, however, you’re likely distracted by all the things that are not done, PLUS whatever you’re doing is a distraction from your priority, which is your child.

I recommend making those other million tasks meditative. You won’t get them all done, but when you’re doing one of them, focus on that one task. If your mind slips, nudge yourself back to focus on the task at hand. Do not allow distractions like music, phones, or social media. Just like when you meditate, be mindful of your breathing and your posture.

Let’s try an example: washing the dishes. First, keep your attention to the task on hand. Pay attention to the temperature of the water, the smell of the soap, the act of scrubbing food off the dirty plates, and so on. Breathe: deeply in, deeply out. Stand with your feet planted and your spine aligned. Do not listen to podcasts, music, or even your child while doing the dishes. Do not let your consciousness drift to the other things you have to do. Stay in the moment. Stay present.

If this is challenging at first, do it for very short sessions (1 minute or less) at the outset. You won’t be able to be meditatively mindful for every task, but that’s okay. Every little bit helps you regain that balance.

Should you buy a VW bus? [Reddit]

From my reply to a discussion in r/VWBus on Reddit.

So basically a reliable tin roof camper is my dream and goal. Is something like this relatively possible and is it economic? Like not absolutely shattering my savings.

Possible? Yes. Economic? No. Especially if you want reliability and modern convenience. Depending on how much of the work you’re willing to do yourself, your tools and knowledge, you can definitely keep those costs down, but then you’re spending your time and life energy instead of money. As someone who grew up with buses and has driven them through much of my adult life, I assure you that they are cool but costly.

Consider: a running van is going to cost you in the ballpark of $5-10K. I’ve never seen a bus for that price that didn’t need some amount of parts and work just to make it roadworthy and reliable, so add another $5-10K. An engine transplant will cost will cost you $2-5K minimum if you have the tools and knowledge, and typically can run much higher. Interiors and modern convenience don’t come cheap, so budget another $5K. So realistically to get what you want, you’re going to be spending in the neighborhood of $15-20K for a 50 year old vehicle. Maybe more. Probably more.

Now bargains and barn finds do exist. And a lot of it depends on your standards. If you don’t mind being seen in a van with rust, then you can skimp on the bodywork. Having space to tear down and work on the vehicle at your own pace, then you aren’t going to need to drop cash all that at once, which saves the bank account and also helps keep the wife from getting suspicious. But the bottom line is that you’re going to spend money to make it happen.

And is it what you really want? A lot of people dream of going mobile in an iconic hippie van, but aren’t as interested in learning how to adjust their carburetors or sourcing subie engine parts. Driving them is fun on the winding back roads, but is hell on a hot day in city traffic. If you want the open road and the ability to camp out of your back hatch, there are other cheaper options.

Of course, it may be an itch that you can only scratch one way. Don’t worry, you’re not alone, we’ve all been there. Find yourself a bus, roll up your sleeves, and empty your wallet. Make it your bus. In the end, you can’t take the money with you, so make the memories and live today.

Remembering Dad [Reddit]

From my reply to a discussion in r/travel on Reddit.

When in was 30 I suggested to my dad (who was 60 and working overseas in Moscow at the time) that we meet in the middle, in Spain. He agreed, so we spent a week and a half with barely a plan, and visited Barcelona, Sevilla, Gibraltar, and even hopped over to Morocco for a day.

I have countless memories, but what I remember most: playing chess together on the train. Getting lost together in the Jewish Quarter In Sevilla. Walking along the beach in Tarifa. Drinking sangrias and people watching on las Ramblas.

It would turn out to be a fortuitous decision to make the trip. A few years later he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and passed away too soon. I would have liked to travel other places with him. Honestly, it wouldn’t have mattered where.

Remember to take advantage of the time you have, while you have it.

On Canon EF lenses and the holy trinity of zooms [Reddit]

From my reply to a discussion in r/canon on Reddit.

Get rid of the idea of a “holy trinity” of lenses. It’s a stupid marketing gimmick (I’ll probably trigger a lot of people with that statement). It makes sense for professional event photographers, who need maximal flexibility from their kit. And for a lot of amateur photographers who shoot a bit of this, that, and everything, a do-all set of relatively fast zooms seems attractive. The problem is that they’re big, heavy, and expensive. And in some ways, they offer too much choice.

Instead, build your own “trinity.” You shoot portraits, animals, and flowers. Ok, so get a kick-butt portrait lens, a decent telephoto with a bit of reach, and a macro. You’d do well with a 50mm, 100mm macro, and a 135mm, for example. It’s a smaller kit that would allow you to focus (ba-dum-dum) in on the things you love.

But what if you’re on a trip and you want to take a landscape? Use the 50. Or learn to do landscapes with the 135. Sure, you won’t get wide sweeping vistas, but that’s ok. Learning to use limited tools to capture the images you want is what will define your art and images.

Now don’t get me wrong, zooms aren’t a bad idea for a lot of people. Maybe you’re one. Maybe your 24-70 is your defining lens. If that’s the case, then accept and even embrace its limitations. You’ve got one of the best normal zooms of all time, so you don’t need a 50 at all. Instead, maybe add reach with a 70-200. Or again, compliment it with a prime like the 100mm macro L or 135mm f2 (both of which are absolutely amazing and versatile lenses).