The edge of the petri dish

Today, I was having a little snack with my friend Jon after scamming a $25 gift card for a new organic market. He is a biologist doctorate candidate who spends a lot of time in the lab, watching and experimenting with exponential growth. He mentioned that most of what he does is trying to beat his particular biological culture to the edge of the petri dish. When that occurs, growth stops of course, but more importantly, decline begins. He needs to get the recklessly growing culture to a new home to repeat the process.

I hope we can be smarter than the algae or bacteria. We have no watchful scientist to give us a new petri dish.

The simple act of eating a simple food and watching all the world go by put me into a state of nostalgia for a time where there is less to do. When you get right down to it, there isn't all that much that is important anyway.

At least not the things most people will tell you are important.

I trained as a civil engineer, so I think a lot about the niceties of our society. Things like paved roads, clean drinking water, access to education and information, and so forth. I appreciate these a lot and don't take them for granted. But, let's face it: There is a whole lot of shit that is a huge distraction and does nothing but take away from the things you will cherish most.

There are things that have been commented upon at length by others about our consumer culture- I will not repeat them here and you probably know them anyway. But every once in a while, look around you, and ask yourself: 'What here would I just be unhappy without, and what would I not miss at all?' Do with the results of that as you wish.