I have a friend, an acquaintance actually, who is extremely laid back. I have always liked him- his name is Rob.
I have another friend named Joseph, and one day I introduced him to Rob and they hit it off very well.
Then later I got an e-mail from Joseph, saying
“Yes, Rob is really cool. I sometimes imagine what it would be like to live, die and then be told all the secrets of life (ie- reincarnation, Heaven, etc.), and then get to live on earth again with this knowledge, free from guilt, anxiety, fear- Seeing that night Rob breakdancing in a neon orange jumpsuit is a lot like how I imagine this alter-ego.”
Aside: That has got to be, without question, the greatest compliment I have ever heard about ANYONE.
The secret I’ve stumbled onto is this:
I know that Rob has NEVER had a girlfriend (he’s not gay either), and he’s 25.
I have never asked Rob if he wanted one, but do you think that the cause of his freedom to wear neon orange jumpsuits and be extremely laid back and apparently free from anxiety is a result of the liberation from a desire for a significant other?
Could that be THE ANSWER?
I don’t think he knows all the secrets to life just because he doens’t want &/or have a girlfriend/boyfriend. I think he’s just comfortable with himself and doesn’t give a shit what others think about him. That’s why he can dance so freely in that neon orange jumpsuit.
I think you may be extrapolating a lot from a nice manner and the lack of a girlfriend history. I’m sure that, in spite of his – I’m sure, genuine – serenity, Rob has troubles of his own and his own reasons for not doing the love-life dance right now. Or maybe he’s just picky
Of course he isn’t an Enlightened One (maybe), he probably gets lonely and pissed off on some days- though i haven’t seen it.
Of course it would be really funny if I started dating this guy and all of a sudden he turns into a khaki-wearing, combed-haired bitter frump.
Maybe your friend Rob has seen the movie The Tao of Steve?
Is break-dancing in a neon orange jumpsuit a sign of enlightenment? I would view it as a sign that someone is trying to relive the 1980s, that great fashion decade. Though maybe the 1980s in the USA marked the summit of enlightenment? Perhaps the boys from Duran Duran were great, misunderstood philosophers? I think more research is needed.