Do It Now

by J.S. Holland

It's been over 20 years since mine eyes have beheld that old RE:Search "Industrial Culture" book, but a bit from its Boyd Rice interview has stuck in my craw ever since. I'm paraphrasing from memory here, of course, but he said in a nutshell that his basic philosophy was "Do it now". "Write a song, propose to a girl, whatever - do it NOW."

Many philosophers have expressed similar sentiments over the years, of course, including myself. But the old "Law of Attraction" positive-thinking bit has been proven scientifically, to my satisfaction at least, of being valid. Not that any thinkers of new thoughts ever cared about getting Big Science's validation, anyhoo.

This is not to be interpreted as a call for impulsive, thoughtless, reckless lunacy, of course; but if after giving any particular matter due thought, you still find yourself frozen in indecision and immobility, then get off the pot and pick a di-rection. And if there's no time to think, then just ACT. Don't drive yourself bonkers with this "Lady or the Tiger" junk, either door you pick you're gonna die in the end anyway. Yes you are.

(And if you keep yourself sharp and aware, chances are you won't be in any indecision in the first place - you'll immediately respond as if by reflexes with the best course of action. Don't think you're quite that sharp? Well, get sharp, Bucko. 'Cause later is now.)

You might tell yourself that you're living on Creeps Time like them Victorian Squares fellers; that you really are gonna do all the things you said you were gonna do someday. But Creeps Time isn't some high-falutin' quantum excuse to do nothing - it's the temporal indulgence of talking something to death that may not actually come to fruition for another decade. (Call it "pre-promotion.") With it comes the implication that while you're doing that, you're also doing stuff RIGHT NOW that you were talking about a decade AGO. Unfortunately, for most people "Someday" is, like my good friend and billiards partner Roy Miller says, "just a code word for Never."

Right now I sense there's someone reading this who wants to do something big, something great. Maybe it's running for office. Maybe it's opening a taco stand in Irvine. Maybe it's writing a blog that blows the whistle on the peanut butter conspiracy. Maybe it's just finding the rock of your dreams to crawl under in Utah and set up housekeeping. Don't just sit there like a knob, do it NOW before the whole house of cards collapses. Because doing nothing is the worst possible thing you could do.

Make a decision, Jack. I've already made my decision. I'm here to help others make theirs.