Cool

“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars.”

– Jack Kerouac On the Road

I remember recording myself reciting this quote on our family’s iMac in high school. I put it on my shuffle as a single .mp3 without any other songs so that it would just keep repeating itself in my ear as I fell asleep. I was 16. The idea was to brand it deep into my subconscious with the hope of it manifesting some outer effect on my behavior. I wanted to be cool. I wasn’t outgoing and figured this would help. I’m not sure whether it did have an effect on me, but I definitely still consciously tried to be cool. I mean I still do, just less deliberately.

Everyone’s concept of cool is different and mine was that: “Mad ones…mad to live…desirous of everything at the same time…burn, burn, burn…” Basically, people who live in the moment. Rockstars, vagabonds, artists, outcasts, hippies, rebels, tyrants. Cool people. Interesting people that live their own life and say what they want. That’s my idea of cool. Or it was.

Can people change? It’s kind of a mystery. Sometimes I get in these moods and get all amped to do nothing wrong, be all healthy, think long-term, logical. Make rational, boring decisions on the road to SUCCESS! Then the next day I’m back to my normal ‘Fun World’ paradigm. Do we strive to be better? Or do we just enjoy the ride and go with the flow? Can there be a balance?

Tell me this. If one guy lives his life eating bagels and cream cheese with coffee and cream every morning and he’s happy BUT he has a dad bod and dies of a heart attack at 60, and there’s another guy who eats healthy but he’s a little less happy because he can’t eat bagels and people also automatically assume he’s a douche because of his six-pack and he dies at say 80 (wow nice 20 more years of being old!) Which is better? I think about this stuff.

Thanks for Reading,

Andrew Hales

6:26 am

Los Angeles, CA

 

 

 

 

11 thoughts on “Cool”

  1. But couldn’t the world where you eat whole wheat avocado toast and drink tea for breakfast also be just as fun? It’s about perspective, always has been and likely will be. The world around you and the shitty everyday things that push you towards your goals can be turned into parts of The Fun World you actually want to live in. Like when you feed a child carrotmush and pretend it’s an airplane to make it more fun to eat? Like that. It’s not easy, it’s aprocess like any other tool towards your goal, but it makes it easier, it makes it more fun. And enjoy the little accomplishments. Celebrate them, in a healthy way. Don’t sweat it too much, you have all the tools you need for your next step, that’s how it goes.

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  2. > Do we strive to be better? Or do we just enjoy the ride and go with the flow? Can there be a balance?

    I think the golden middle way applies to this too. I think the key is to strive to be happier. Sometimes being happy means enjoying the ride and going with the flow. You should think what you mean by “better”, better by whose standards? You should strive to be better on your standards.

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  3. Who is eating bagels and cream cheese with coffee and cream every morning and is happy you wanna dad bod and die of a heart attack at 60?

    Cool down dude you are hot 🙂

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  4. I have been reading your blog since you started it, and I’ve watched almost all of your videos on both channels. I prefer the Extras but LAHWF is a classic. The thing is that I have something to share with you, can you tell me how can I contact you? I tried via DM but no luck.
    It’s something personal and something about business.

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  5. Our brains are plastic. Habits can be changed.

    The challenge is to enjoy living healthy. Over the long term living healthier is living happier. On Fri, Dec 15, 2017 at 6:30 AM Losing All Hope Was Freedom wrote:

    > Andrew Hales posted: “”The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones > who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything > at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but > burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles expl” >

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  6. hey Andrew this really inspired me to think about myself… i had the same thoughts when i was at that age and i noticed that i still try to be cool somehow nowadays

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  7. After Hunter S. Thompson killed himself at age 67, his friend wrote this:

    “… He told me 25 years ago that he would feel real trapped if he didn’t know that he could commit suicide at any moment. I don’t know if that is brave or stupid or what, but it was inevitable. I think that the truth of what rings through all his writing is that he meant what he said. If that is entertainment to you, well, that’s OK. If you think that it enlightened you, well, that’s even better. If you wonder if he’s gone to Heaven or Hell, rest assured he will check out them both, find out which one Richard Milhous Nixon went to — and go there. He could never stand being bored. But there must be Football too — and Peacocks …”

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  8. I don’t think food should be the thing that makes someone happy. And I don’t think that anyone should care what other people think about them. But I would rather be unhealthy and living freely than be someone who constantly worries what others perception is of them

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

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  9. There is a balance. You could eat a Salad with Fried chicken strips like I do. You might live to be 70. 😀

    I always think to myself “You could eat as healthy as you want, but if you got in a horrible car accident and died (God Forbid), it would’ve been kind of pointless.”

    Try not to focus too hard life on whats to come, but enjoy as much of it as possible.

    Cool would be an understatement for you. When I first saw your prank videos years ago, I thought you were amazing! As time went on and the pranks stopped, It let the fans see a different side of you. You are also a person with emotions just like us. I still laugh at your videos even though they are mostly Vlogs. You are still funny without the pranks. It was hard to see the video of you crying because it showed something that was deep inside your heart that needed to be free. You and Chad laughed about the video, but That was the only time I actually didn’t laugh. I think I am just rambling, but anyway…You are “Cool” in my eyes.

    P.S. I really enjoy your “chatting with’s”….They are becoming less awkward.lol

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  11. I think about a similar concept. Here’s my thoughts…. Were both having this inner conflict between should I be safe and boring or should I be courageous and cool (but potentially and most likely isn’t safe). I safe can be interpreted several ways here. I won’t force it to be one particular way. But for me, I’m thinking should I keep this job and make the decent money and save and then live free in my later years? Or should I try to live large and go out on a limb now and possibly have to make up for it later? That’s the dilemma for me. I’m glad I’m where I’m at but I just wonder if I’ll regret it.

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