Fartin’ around

“How beautiful it is to get up and go out and do something. We are here on Earth to fart around. Don’t let anybody tell you any different.“

I first encountered this quote from Vonnegut in the essay “I Have Been Called a Luddite” from his book “Man Without a Country,” but I think he floated it around in various interviews and speeches over the years. In its greater context, it’s about how the seemingly mundane acts and motions of one’s life aren’t the inconveniences we’ve told they are. Rather, they are what make us human. Yeah, you could buy a 1000-pack of envelopes with same day shipping (god, what would Vonnegut thing of Amazon Prime) and never have to leave your house. But going out to buy an envelope at the corner store, talking to the cashier about the lottery numbers, stopping to ask someone about their dog as you pass them on the street, having rapport with the clerk at the post office — it’s all about being a part of society.

I love being part of society. I am here to fart around!