ID vs. Ego

I always criticize my dad for smoking. I've been doing that for as long as I remember. He usually responds by shrugging, rolling his eyes, or saying something sarcastic or smart-assish.

A few years ago, he decided to do something out of ordinary. He actually gave me a serious response. He put down his cigarette and said, "Sarah [his late wife] is a big advocate of doing whatever you want in life. If you want to drink a glass of wine, smoke a cigarette, or do anything, drop everything and just do it."

While I don't agree with how he should apply that philosophy to his pack-a-day habit, I still find myself following that philosophy at times. Since then, I have learned how to ignore my ego enough to fulfill my ID's needs & desires. It's not always easy to do, but it definitely makes life a lot better. It's a rhetorical statement, but you don't know what it really means unless it happens to you.

I have a friend who travels the world. Whenever I tell him something like, "I wish I could move to a tropical place and just write, write, and write," he says, "then do it."

My response always disappoints him: "I would, but I'm not ready yet." I need to fulfill society's expectations first, such as graduating college and getting enough money and resources to do whatever I want. I hope I'll be able to reach the point of being able to achieve my goals and dreams before it's too late.

There's this popular story that has been going around. It goes something like this:


An American businessman was at a pier in a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow-fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. The Mexican replied only a little while. The American then asked why he didn't stay out longer and catch more fish.

The Mexican said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs. The American then asked the Mexican how he spent the rest of his time. The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, senor."

The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and, with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise."

The Mexican fisherman asked, "But senor, how long will this all take?" To which the American replied, "15-20 years."

"But what then, senor?" asked the Mexican.

The American laughed and said, "That's the best part! When the time is right, you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public. You'll become very rich, you would make millions!"

"Millions, senor?" replied the Mexican. "Then what?"

The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."


Maybe I should just move to a Mexican villa and work at the local bar and write scripts. Nothing sounds more appealing than this right now, but I need to graduate college first. What can I say? I'm an American.