One reason I'm so attracted to Sci-Fi and Fantasy stories is - within those worlds - our protaganist has the ability to change his/her circumstances instantaneously. There are no attachments holding one back from a new journey. No commitments. Job. Friends. Bills. Everything seems to be expendable. Even if it wasn't - legal troubles can't follow you to another star system - or across the massive sea. Imagine the ability to pick up and go at a moment's notice.

They say there are two certainties in this life: Death & Taxes.

No one talks about Taxes in Sci-Fi. That suits me just fine.

All the questions of life - Love, purpose, and uncompromised trust - can be found with a simple answer: Join a crew. Leave everything behind. Explore beyond what you know.

Of course this helps that they live in a mostly lawless society. Not completely without rules and regulations, but there is a sense that one could escape their troubles if they only make the decision. We just write blogs about it.

I think this is why Post-Apocalypse has become so popular in culture. Movies and books and TV shows and Video Games. Everyone seems to want to start over. To wipe the slate clean.

We have nothing to explore. Everything is within our grasp. We only need to settle down, place roots, and build everything we need right where we are. But there's no sense of adventure anymore. There's no sense of escape. We've been compromised by our phones and our networks. Validation can come quick and leave in a flash. We've become addicted to it. We put hearts on auction daily - sometimes hourly - where bids don't mean a thing. Numbers to repeat tomorrow. Statistics.

Shared experiences today mean sharing a beer. Or going camping.

I guess that's city life.

I'm interested in two things: 1 - how can we make this life more like the one I admire so much in these genre's? 2 - What allows those connections to be so strong yet easy to let go of? 

In terms of the latter, it's a simple observation. There's no such thing as Throwback Thursday or Flashback Friday. In today's society we're so focused on the past experiences and so afraid of letting go of them. We work so hard at making friends - because we're flawed and unable to accept each other without lots of time and commitment, or because we're selfish humans - and find ourselves unwilling to lets those friends evolve or move on. 

I love the interaction between Biggs and Luke in A New Hope. When they see each other after so long they pick up exactly where they left off. When Biggs left Tatooine I'm sure Luke missed him and vice-versa, and there was no chance that they would ever see each other again. In some way they accepted that. Sure there was hope there, but I don't think either of them dwelled on that past relationship and wanting to go back to "the way things were." They simply got excited for the future. For new friends to come. New adventures. There's a deep connection without an overwhelming attachment. 

This brings me to the former question and whether or not we can live in the moment.

How do we, as human beings, embark on an adventure that consistently brings us to new worlds, introduces us to lasting friends, and serves to answer our most intimate questions - while also partaking in our mundane routine driven lives?

Cultivating shared experiences might become the answer.

Doing what you love is another - albeit that depends on where you derive fullfillment - and I think it's important the difference between working alone and getting the opportunity to fellowship with others while you do it.

It's also about showing up. You gotta say "yes". 

Acceptance is important - when it comes to other human beings. No one ever said we had to get along.

But is there another key? Is there a state-of-mind that's worth transcending to that allows a person to live freely enough where anything could happen? Or is the answer....simply...money?

Because when the ship arrives, I won't be ready for it, but I want to know I can go anyway. If the sea is calling to me, I want the ability to answer. If love and life and purpose is simply about following the horizon, they why am I not chasing it constantly? Unless it's not about the journey, but about finding the right crew - and that begs the questions: How does one do that?

Is it a common goal? A shared belief? A uniting circumstance?

Because it's definitely not the enjoyment of each other's company. Not with the misfits. The rogues. The assholes. The weirdos. A crew is nothing without it's fair share of growing pains.

Somehow - some way - we too can fly amongst the stars. For love, riches, or glory, but we have to be willing to chase after it. We have to be willing to let go of our worries and our mundane stresses. We have to be willing to embrace the adventure. Willing to fly together though the most difficult circumstances. To open up. Be vulnerable. Authentic. True. We have to be willing to allow people in and out of our lives. To understand that they to are on their own adventure.

More importantly: We have to get off our fucking phones.