[SOC]

It has been an eventful weekend here on the C-blog thanks to the tri-bash I did. If people ever wonder if I delete comments, they now have overwhelming empirical evidence that shows that I don't.

This isn't the first time I have written about a sport. In fact, I have written stuff about a variety of outdoor activities from cycling to weekend warriors to ultrarunners. Nothing has set off a group of people like that tri-bash post. I poked a sensitive spot. The only thing that provokes that kind of response is hard truth.

I don't have any hatred for any other sports. I am critical of activities that require a bunch of expensive shit and big toys. I think a guy fishing with $500 john boat is pretty cool. The guy with the $35K boat is not so cool. There is vanity there which is really dumb if it requires going into debt.

Someone remarked to me the other day that they noticed that I tended to be humble. Of course, I have to deny this since to acknowledge it would be bragging. But I do eschew status, conspicuous consumption, and all that shit. You can see where a yuppie sport like triathlon would be a ripe target for a blue collar guy like me.

Distance running has the opposite effect on me. I like a sport where the elites come from third world poverty. I admire a sport that is virtually free. You can go to any marathon, and you will see blue collar folks lining up with bankers to compete. Money doesn't buy you shit in the marathon.

There is a lot of social commentary to be had in these worlds. Because I bring a certain class consciousness to my discussions, people probably think I am some kind of Marxist. But I'm not. I just question the snobbery. Snobbery is the desperate attempt of rich people to convince the rest of us that they are also happy. But if you are happy, you don't convince anyone. They already know it just by looking at you.

This is why I am constantly surprised when people envy me. I figure envy is reserved for people who drive expensive cars and live in mansions. But envy comes from unhappy people who see other people as being happy. A great example would be the warden's hatred of Andy Dufresne in Shawshank. You start to see that happiness is less dependent on your circumstances than it is on your choices and your response to those circumstances. This is also why envious people become so hateful and destructive. When you live in opposition to their way and it works, they want to hide the evidence that they are not living the good life. These people are deep in a delusion.

I envy people, but what I call envy is really admiration. I admire people who reflect values that I have or have virtues I wish to have. These vary from individualism to humility to a tenacious work ethic. I admire these people because they confirm the things I already believe in. When a Mexican immigrant comes here, busts his ass working, and ends up owning his own home and a business and surrounds himself with a loving family, I am going to admire that way more than the fact that a coke whore like Paris Hilton is able to pull down in a day what this guy earns in a year.

Anyway, these are the thoughts in my head at this present moment. On to other things. . .

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