The Dice Man Has Been Cured

The quest for random acts of adventure and the fear of the unknown always tend to excite even the most tentative of thinkers. Life changing events are at best incremental, save for the accident or the disease. The thought of doing something new is usually followed by hours, if not days or weeks of procrastination and many reasons for not doing a particular thing. Comfort zones are now drawn for millions, where cars are castles, this area here is my space, and I demand perfection on my burger otherwise it's back to the kitchen for the wait staff to spit on it. Should you tire of that life, which we all do, some for seconds, some for hours and then the small portion who step outside of the zone, they have discovered a cure. After you have read The Dice Man, Luke Rhinehart, 1971, you will see that technology would have made the book impossible to write. We now have a source for limitless thoughts and actions, completely random, or do we? Let me know if you play.

Rules of the Game

Request 6 random acts of adventure from your twitter followers

Retweet ask for a different person to select the act

Commit the act

Please note this version has no acts of violence, law breaking or gore

Just for adventure!

Your Arrogance is Only Surpassed by Your Ignorance

The wily old grey fox of a man stood, rolling his mustache, looking outward over the gentile lake water, his young dog basking, splashing and reveling in the mid summer's heat. I engaged him in few pleasantries about how fortunate we all were to be enjoying such a great summer. He had obviously been well weathered by the elements and I suspect perhaps, some alcohol too, along the way.  He made some references about not having long to go on this earth, so I asked him how he would like to be remembered and he said ' you can hate me for the things I have done, but don't hate me for the person I am '  We chatted for a while longer about nothing in particular, he seemed a little lonely and a little afraid. I asked him why he had a young dog and he said it kept him going, I understood. The sun was beginning to go orange purple and there was a little nip in the air, it was time for me to grab my dogs and head on home. Before I said my goodbyes, [ I had enjoyed the conversation ]  I asked him what he thought the difference was between being very young and very old. He said ' your arrogance is only surpassed by your ignorance ' Too true, I thought.

Dynamite Man

Dressed in his shocking red coveralls, with yellow lightning bolts dotted around his suit, Dynamite Man made a stunning entrance at the county fair, through a fake tunnel, dry ice misting through the  darkness, an old strobe light pulsating, creating an air of anticipation. His assistant prepared the coffin like structure, padded with insulation, and 2 sticks of dynamite strategically placed underneath the structure. Endless drum rolls and hokey trumpets blared out from a cheap boom box. 15 seconds of silence then BANG, Dynamite Man erupts from the coffin like structure 20 feet in the air, loud cheers and lots of clapping ensued. Dynamite Man lay on the ground for what seemed like an eternity, groaning in obvious pain, it became apparent that this was not part of the act. The ambulance arrived about 20 minutes later and the word passed around the remaining crowd was a suspected broken back. The crowd slowly dispersed as they loaded Dynamite Man into the ambulance, after all these years I still remember him, and I also still remember thinking, I'm glad I don't have a job like that.

A Simple Life Complicated By Other People

A cyclist was peddling happily down the main road feeling good about getting some exercise on his way to work. He was also feeling good about the fact that his carbon emission was almost at zero for the day, he had packed a locally grown, organic lunch, and his recently installed solar panels were starting to pay dividends. He was part of the club now, living the simple life, practicing what he preached to others, living and breathing what he believed. He felt part of the community, he felt that people were finally starting to engage him on his beliefs, he could speak intelligently without being aloof. He stood up on the pedals of his bicycle, he stood tall, pulling in one great breath of satisfaction and accomplishment, he closed his eyes for one brief second, sailing through the red light, and never opened them again. No one will ever know if he heard the diesel engine of the demolition truck, that flattened him like a Monty Python skit, there was nothing the driver could do. He was inconsolable and devastated that he had hurt another human being, that he was hung over after a fight with his wife last night, that he still had half of a fast food burger in his mouth, and the hot breakfast coffee half burned him when he braked too late. He really hated his job right at this second and he felt surprisingly relieved that he'd never have to drive that truck again. Would he end up in jail? Would his wife stand by him? Would his kids think less of him? Would the cyclist's family forgive him? It all sounds very complicated.

Gargoyles and A Pair of Pants

On a visit to Oxford this weekend we passed through the Sheldonian Theater for the princely sum of 2 pounds and 50 pence. Contrary to it's name there are no shows performed here, it's only function is to welcome new students to Oxford and hopefully to distribute their diplomas as they exit into the real world. The theater itself is a picture of beauty designed by Wren in the 1700's, he went on to design St Paul's in London. It has fantastic views of Oxford from the top of it's unique roof and has undergone several renovations during the last 250 years. As you view from the roof,  you are surrounded by gargoyles that ward off the evil spirits on most of Oxford's old buildings, you are struck by how much time and effort the stone mason's spent not just on constructing something that will last a thousand more years, but also it's spiritual well being, by placing a gargoyle every 12 feet. In 2004 the were renovating the roof once more and they discovered a time capsule from the early 1900's, a crowd gathered to see what was inside, could it be an undiscovered theory, a problem solved way before it's time? No, not really, the plasterer decided he would put a pair of his work pants in there, to be discovered 100 years later, and although I cannot comment on his skills as a plasterer, I think his sense of humor was outstanding.

You Are Beautiful - Sometimes

There are things that excite the mind and the eye, perhaps the vibrant color on a new shirt, catching a person in brilliant sunlight exhausted after a long run, the mountain backdrop against a purple bruise of a sky, the endless ocean that inspired the flat earth crazies or maybe the collective colors of rabid fans supporting the home team with reckless abandon. Any of these will affect your perspective of how you view others and yourself. It is very easy to feel valuable and engaged when you are in a state of excitement or heightened awareness and things are going well for you. Sometimes you need to take a moment for those with less clarity, if you can inspire them, well done, if you can encourage them, even better. If they are not in a listening state, show them something of beauty, something remarkable, or make a big sign that says ' You are beautiful ',  everyone at least will crack a smile at that, maybe. After that it's back to the humdrum................

Sentimental Fools / Print / Food for Thought

As I browsed through an on line peer group the other day, I was taken by the headline ' More Bad News For Print ' I read the report, which is pretty standard fare for the collapse of US manufacturing, things like old established company fails, 100 people made redundant, market changed, company unable to adapt. I also read the enormous outpouring of sympathy towards the plight of the owners and workers alike. They have my sympathy also. One of the things that drew me to America in the mid 1980's, was it's can do attitude, we are the best because we work hard and innovate and there was real outrage at co-workers and owners alike if you did not perform to your best everyday, investing and bringing work in for the owners and taking pride in the products and providing a real service for the workers. I did not see any of that in the reports of failure or the comments of their peers. Come on people, show some outrage, fight back, invest, innovate, play hard and play to win your jobs and your future

Passion For What You Do

I met a young musician the other morning, who had traveled far and wide to study his craft. He seemed very confident in his ability to play music on any level, from a rock band, to a symphony orchestra piece or a barber shop quartet. He was not boastful or contrary, just very matter of fact. We discussed some of his favorite moments in music, not surprisingly several places made the list, from the Royal Albert Hall in London, to the Beacon Theater in New York and the Sydney Opera House, yes you guessed it, in Sydney. I then asked him about what he got out of playing music at that level, was it the great pieces of music?, the rapturous crowds? the great venues?, surprisingly he came back and said ' Everyday I go to work with many people who have a passion for what they do ' and I thought you lucky sod.

Looking for the Right People

After posting a job this morning on one of the social networking sites, I realized how much time I had spent trying to define the right person. After all, if I find the right person,  I am going to spend a lot of time, learning about their family, friends, animals, birthdays and holidays. I am also going to look at their work ethic, habits and general interaction with the rest of the folks we have defined as the Right People. I started off very formally, with this qualification and that one. As I looked at it more closely I decided I would probably shoot myself if I actually hired that person, and moreover the flak I would take from the rest of the Right People would be almost unbearable......... We have defined ourselves, we like ourselves, and we would like to find someone who thinks we are the Right People for them. I will let you know if I found the right language to speak to the right person for the Right People.

First Day Of School

I looked at my two boys, proud as punch, dressed in their new khaki's and button downs, posing for a quick photo before they went on the school bus. It is their first day of school, in a new country and in a new culture. The excitement was high all weekend, with their new pencils and binders, oh and a protractor, what ever you use that for!, the anticipation of new teachers, friends and adventures. The call came in around 8.30am to say that the youngest had threw up over a few people in front of him, he was fine, could we bring him a change of clothes. They also remarked that he might have to sit in the front seat for a couple of weeks, as none of the older kids were willing to take the chance! If that was ok with us, he could take the bus tomorrow.............. Nothing worse than starting your day with some other kids Honey Puffs regurgitated in your new haircut, I guess.

Friday's are Fabulous

What would you be if you thought like you did on a Friday afternoon around 3pm? The daily grind is nearly over and you have put in some good work for the week. I remember many years ago working with a rather muscular laborer, who in his previous life claimed to be a black belt in Judo, one squeeze of his paw to my neck and I am a dead man. I allowed myself a slight smile and asked him what his plans were for the weekend, he swore me to secrecy and to this day I have not broken that promise. He confided to me that he and his wife were avid thimble collectors and that a 17th century solid silver masterpiece was coming on the market at a show in Harrogate, Yorkshire. It was a 450 miles round trip and he hoped that with a successful bid of 3500 pounds, he would have a jewel in his collection that he could treasure for many years. I said 'Jim, this is great news for you and your wife' and ' this is why I think Friday's are Fabulous ' He said ' What? ' I said ' Never mind, enjoy your thimble collecting '

Sometimes It's Just Time

Sometimes you just have to get off the train and do something else! The conversation started with all the good things I do and then all the bad things I do. I nodded in agreement with the words I was hearing and said yes, that about sums it up. I thought for a moment about protesting, but decided I had enjoyed more of what had happened over the years, than not. I paused for a moment and said ' 'sometimes it's just time, isn't it?' 'Yes' came the reply. I said 'thank you'

Understanding the Drive

As we stood huddled around a small color TV, it was the winter Olympics of 1988 and Eddie the Eagle was about to do the 70m ski jump. I wondered why someone would endanger themselves to do something they were obviously afraid of and apparently not very good at. The worse he did, the more the crowd would roar their approval, winning the hearts of millions. I asked for many years, if anyone could explain this rather odd pattern of behavior both of the downhill skier and it's fans and someone remarked it's the drive you see, because they have to........................

Communicating into the Unknown

Every morning as I walk with my two dogs, through Wimbledon Common I challenge myself to find out one thing I did not know the day before. I think the reason I do this is so I do not become complacent or arrogant about my place in the world. When I am surrounded by millions of people all texting and chattering like maniacs I realize how insignificant and unimportant I am, obstructing the most critical messages from reaching their destination. More importantly you never have to feel alone again because you are communicating into the unknown, just ignore the person standing beside you!