According to Billy Conolly, a Scottish musician, comedian, and actor, Rambling Men are people who never feel at home and comfortable in their current environment. He never did and kept moving around, always looking for greener pastures. In a way, he was a rolling stone, like yours truly, only considerably more successful. If you are not already familiar with him, look him up on YouTube. He is a funny guy, almost as hilarious as the late Robin Williams.
Rambling Man feeling comfortable in his environment
I like the idea of the Rambling Men. Without them, all young men and women would stay close to home, and nobody would ever move far beyond their immediate environment. Most of you would still live in the town, or on the farm you were born. Not a soul would have thought of going West, and California would not be. Imagine a world without Hollywood and Disney World.
I would not be surprised if more than ten percent of the people in the USA were wandering souls, always ready for the next gig, job, or partner. The same is true for my countrymen and for that matter, the Europeans in general, always getting on rickety old sailing ships to go and discover a shorter route to India, or someplace where they could rob the locals of their gold, silver, and spices.
Dutch East Indies Fleet by Andries van Eertveld
And speaking of spices and good food, Billy Conolly had something to say. His advice to those who want to lose weight is not to eat anything that comes in buckets. Buckets are the serving utensils for farmyards.
Back to Rambling Men and the good or bad they do. Would there be progress without them? Is progress something we need? Progress is good, as without it we would still be killing each other with clubs instead of automatic firearms. We would eat each other instead of animals and ride horses instead of gas-guzzling trucks. Just imagine having to mount your horse to go to the grocery store or the local witch doctor.
I’m all for progress, as without it and medical innovation, I would be six feet under for many years already, and so would most of you. What we don’t do to keep going for a little longer. I go to all sorts of extreme measures. I exercise like crazy and eat only healthy stuff, like vegetables, beans, bananas, and peanut butter sandwiches. Now and then we go and eat Sushi or in a French restaurant. I also eat lots of imported cheese, and I always make sure to wash it down with ample amounts of healthy beverages such as wine, sake, and beer. I never consume hard liquor as that stuff is not good for you.
I swear, I only eat healthy stuff
When my doctor asks how much I drink, I blatantly lie and tell him with moderation. Compared with some people I know that would not be an overstatement.
I’m kidding. I truly eat and drink in moderation. I do some exercising, but what is equally important is trying new, challenging things. Don’t just sit around contemplating your navel or watching the wall and television. Do something different. Something you have never tried before. If you hate puzzles, make yourself do one a day. If you have never read a book in your life, start reading books. If you only speak the language you learned at home, sign up for a language course and teach yourself to speak Spanish, Greek, or Chinese. Come to think of it, speaking Chinese might come in handy one day.
In short, get out of your comfort zone, and be a Rambling Man.
Please check out my relevant post here https://ups-and-downs-of-old-age.com/195-2/