Hunter S. Thompson _______________________________________________________ This last Saturday, August 20th, the ashes of Hunter S. Thompson, author and founder of Gonzo Journalism, were shot out of a canon on his ranch near Aspen, Colorado. The Expedition4am Crew was in the area, but the event was "by invite only" and our high-powered contacts failed to come through for us. Typical. The family and organizers obviously knew who was and was not "riff-raff” ...you can probably guess which list we were on. Rather than talk about an event we didn't get invited to, and missed entirely because we were busy playing in the wilderness, I want to discuss something I call "surrendering to life." Surrendering to life is just as it sounds... the opposite of "Attacking Life." It's the point in life where the weight of your responsibilities becomes greater than your energy to deal with them and still go out and do crazy things. Your youthful spirit is slowly eroded by things like your job, your spouse, your mortgage, your kids, and so on. A lot of people refer to this as "settling down." My mom used to say it about my more unstable friends, "If he would just find a nice girl and settle down." Her tone always made it sound as if settling down was the ultimate goal in life… like once settled down a person would miraculously magically reach a social nirvana. Personally, I think that's bullshit. First off, the second you submit to settling down, you've committed yourself to a slow death sentence. No longer are you out all hours of the night. No longer are you hanging with your friends. No longer is the most important thing on your schedule the next concert, road trip, outdoor adventure, (insert favorite fun thing here). That's why I don't like the term Settling Down-- it simply isn't strong enough. I prefer the term Surrendering to Life. It implies that you've put up a fight... the fight of youth... and you've thrown up your hands, waved the white flag, and given in. Life, as you have lived it up to that point, is over. You want to know the truth, kids? Chances are very good that if you are in your 20's, you will slowly begin to surrender to life. Don't get me wrong. Getting married, having a job, rearing children, buying a home... these are all noble endeavors. But they will change you. You cannot avoid the change that comes with them! In today's American Society most of us get married sometime in our twenties and begin amassing these aforementioned responsibilities. Slowly our focus shifts from events we enjoy so dearly, to responsibilities you find valuable in one way or another. One day you find yourself trying to ”make time” for the things you dig. The slow death of youthful energy is what I am talking about. Biologically we emerge from puberty with a raw and almost unending energy for life. One way or another we've left the nest and are eager to spread our wings. We light up the town every night, we seek out adventure, we enjoy the company of our best and wildest friends. My dad used to call this "being full of piss and vinegar"...and it's a great time of life! For some people this period of life lasts longer than others. They never amass the responsibilities of someone in their middle age, possibly avoiding them intentionally. Or they simply refuse to let go of the youthful spirit, clinging to it like an old ratty teddy bear. Sure staying youthful is all very nice, but there’s also something wrong with this extreme. All of your friends have amassed the responsibilities of middle age... perhaps you should think about getting a few of them too. Especially a good job, you bum! Speaking from the perspective of a person in his mid 30's, I will say that the people I most admire are those who assume the responsibilities yet refuse to surrender to life. Yes they have the job, and the house and the spouse... heck they may even have a kid or two... but they still reserve some time each week to do the things that make them feel alive. Perhaps they buy plane tickets and fly someplace for the weekend. Maybe they still rock climb, hike mountains, or run rivers. Maybe they seek out night life once a week, a bit less crazy perhaps, but get out of the house and stay out until the wee morning hours. After all, part of growing up is learning to chose your battles wisely. People in their 40's, 50's and beyond, who still refuse to "surrender to life" are my heroes. Ironically, they are often the ones who are most successful in their job and other responsibilities. Why? They didn't crawl into their little comfort zone and "settle." They kept pushing and attacking... making the most out of their time on this planet. As the Gonzo reporter on this little adventure, I not only have Hunter S. Thompson to thank for the name and the spirit I have been entrusted with, but I feel obligated to impale you with my thoughts on him. Yes, "impale" you. Why impale... because Hunter Thompson was anything but a subtle man. In his youth he lived hard and threw it on the line. He savored the energy of being alive; The raw and visceral feeling of being juiced with life (if that meant drugs or otherwise) was something I personally believe was EXTREMELY important to him. It was his essence. And I have to wonder if the loss of that is why he took his own life-- blowing his brains out as it were. Something tells me he felt himself surrendering to life. He was getting old, beyond his time in the limelight, and was having health problems. He had lived and seen as much as he could and was beginning to settle. However, this was unacceptable in his scheme of the world-- A sin beyond forgiveness. Nothing could be more terrible for a Gonzo Journalist, a Warrior of Life, than to lay down arms and give in to the mundane and ordinary. Hell, the word "Surrender" may not have been in his vocabulary! So rather than surrender, he gave the world one last "fuck you!" Out with a bang rather than a whimper-- his terms, his choice, his way. And what was they guy's final wish? His ashes to be shot out of a canon! Even in death, Hunter Thompson got one last blast of energy. To me that was Hunter saying "I was HERE and I LIVED!" Thank you, Hunter S. Thompson. Thanks for kicking ass and living life to the fullest ...right up to the moment you squeezed the trigger for the last time. We need more people like you in the world. The Crew and I would have loved to see your remains shot out of the canon. We would have raised our glasses and saluted your spirit. Certainly it would have been more fitting to have people like us at your going away party, rather than stuffy folks who have surrendered to life. But honestly, those of us still busy attacking life would prefer to celebrate your memory while doing something crazy and fun. Living life to the fullest is the only proper farewell we can offer. With that said, I'd like to conclude this rant by bringing it back to the little adventure the Crew and I are on. If nothing else you get out of reading this forum... if nothing else you take away from it, please remember this… There's a lot of life to be lived in this world-- If you fail to enjoy as much of it as possible, it's your own damn fault. Assume responsibilities as you grow older, but NEVER SURRENDER TO LIFE!