Tales From the Beyond the Grinder
“Always Do Whatever’s Next”
That quote is one of the more mysterious yet powerful anecdotes from the late great comedian (a.k.a. stand-up philosopher) George Carlin. I came across this quote a few days ago after I picked up a LIFE magazine book recapping the last decade in amazing full spread photos and captions. The book was a great reminder of all that we have been through and the changes that have resulted in the first 10 years of this millennium. At the end, the last few pages were dedicated to some of the legendary writers, politicians, actors, musicians, and other celebrities who have passed away in the last decade. Each photo had simply their name, occupation, dates, and a quote that captured their spirit and life’s contribution to the rest of us. I scanned through and one quote in particular caught my eye. It was simple, yet deep, and obvious, while mysterious at the same time. “Always do whatever’s next,” seems easy enough. I wondered for a little while why this was chosen for George Carlin’s quote? Surely throughout the decades of his stand-up career and television shows something more interesting (and raunchy) could have been chosen. Such as “fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity.” And I am sure the seven words you can’t say on television were neglected for obvious reasons. The simple, yet profound quote stuck in my mind throughout the weekend and rang true for a few things on the deck right now.
