“I’m going to be a happy idiot and struggle for the legal tender.”
The Pretender, Jackson Browne
What’s wrong with this picture?
Well, first of all, for all the years I’ve listened to and sung along with this song, I’ve sung it wrong according to the excerpt from the lyrics above.
It’s important to note here that I am the kind of person that intentionally makes up my own lyrics to songs, but in this case, I just heard what I wanted to hear here, apparently.
I’ve always jokingly referred to myself as “a jerk of all trades, master of none” even though I’ve managed to excel at most everything I’ve done in my life. Again, this is my own personal opinion, which may differ from someone else’s truth of me. I’ve also had a healthy skepticism of my own and others thoughts, preferring to follow my own discerning nature.
And life has been good. So, you’re saying, “What’s up with this post about these old lyrics?”
Well, the way I’ve always heard and sung this verse of The Pretender through my somewhat unique filter is “I’d rather be a happy idiot, than struggle for the legal tender.” And this blends easily with my philosophy that life shouldn’t be hard, and, if it is, I’m doing something wrong. This really equates for me, “if I do what I love, it’ll never be work.” I’ve followed that exclusively since 1978 and without exception, I have had what I would call a blessed life.
A couple of caveats to this are, I’ve also been my own boss all this time, and while I have never wanted for anything, my success has never been personally measured by my salary, money in the bank or how much my businesses were valued at, but more in the value of the services I gave and the happiness or joy people felt from what I built, sold or shared with them.
So, Yes, I’d rather be a happy idiot, than struggle for the legal tender. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I guess at this point it’s a moot point, but I’m still doing what I love and reaping the rewards of the journey this life has offered me in my soon to be 71 years.
Would I do it differently if I had it all to do over again? Not really. It’s been a great ride. The highs, the lows, the successes and the learning experiences have all shown me that there are always alternatives, new ways and directions one can go to change one’s life experience, if one finds their present path isn’t working for them or leads them to another possibility.
Life is good.
Part 2 coming soon.
revjim