My dad just had a birthday. He’s accomplished a lot in 64 years. At a glance, the man has earned wealth, awards, and a strong reputation. Basically, those things most of us spend our life chasing in the west. Behind the scenes, he quietly supports a large number of people, helping them step towards personal or professional goals.
My dad just had a birthday. He’s accomplished a lot in 64 years. At a glance, the man has earned wealth, awards, and a strong reputation. Basically, those things most of us spend our life chasing in the west. Behind the scenes, he quietly supports a large number of people, helping them step towards personal or professional goals.
You could expect a firm and guiding hand in the lives of his children. But it’s actually been a laissez-faire approach to whatever my brother and I chose to do.
From the time we were children he’d say, “Make your own decisions. I’ll always give you enough rope to hang yourself.”
The reason was simple. My grandfather had very insistent plans for my dad’s life. Even though Granddad was professionally successful, it was at the expense of personal relationships, and dad wasn’t interested in that path.
They mended fences long before my grandfather’s end. But dad thoroughly parented in the opposite direction, even when a bit more guidance would have been welcome in my formative years.
Today, my oldest boy is not quite old enough to drive. The wife and I try to find a balance somewhere between tyranny and anarchy. But the challenge seems different than past generations.
Maybe it’s just me, but the modern struggle (at least for youngin’s) isn’t about stumbling into an unfruitful area of interest. It’s about having any interest that isn’t hijacked by huge corporations that fracture and consume human attention.
Frankly, there are plenty of ways to turn a deep niche interest into a profession - especially in today's marketplace. So steering our kids towards a specific career path doesn’t feel particularly relevant. Instead, we’re trying to teach them to intentionally steer their own attention.
Here’s the specific guidance I’m giving our kids. If you disagree, that’s completely OK. We’re all just doing our best.
“Attention is like water. If you want to grow something, you water it. Good or bad, whatever you focus your attention on in life - will grow.
Right now, your brain, your time, your attention - it’s all in the crosshairs of multi-billion dollar corporations with legions of brilliant programers. Your attention is a trophy they will collect and drag home to their bank account - if you let them. To say that all technology is evil, is reductive. The world is more complicated than that, but the only choice you need to make is pretty simple.
What will you choose to water?”
Back to you. I should probably make this about whiskey somehow. Fortunately, that’s not a stretch.
There’s probably more than a few snobs that will think what I’m about to say is sacrilegious. But for me - whisk(e)y lives in a toolbox, not on a pedestal. It's a catalyst to (momentarily) shift attention away from the hustles, grinds, and distractions. Sacred, not in the pour, but in the experience you share with a select few.
I think an exceptional bottle is perfectly designed to build memories. You can chase rare bottles and build vast collections if that interests you. Hell, give me a shout and I’ll even help you get it all sorted. #moochlife.
Just remember, delicious flavors come and go - a memorable experience lasts a lifetime.
~ The Magnificent Bastard
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