It was the late 80’s when I came across an article about Henry Rollins in the back of a snowboarding magazine. The picture was similar to the one I’ve got posted here;
a ripped dude with a bunch of tattoos, naked except for some worn out black shorts, and alive with some internal raw energy. At that time in my life I did not resonate (at first) with what I assumed this guy was about.
I think I ended up reading the article because I had spent some hard earned cash on this magazine, and was damned if I was not going to get my money’s worth. That, and it was only one page.
The interviewer assumed that the reader knew who this was, and proceeded to describe his surprise at meeting Henry in a poor area of Santa Cruz, California, where he rented a room out of a rundown house.
Henry’s space consisted of a cot, a small chest of drawers for clothing, a table covered in writing tablets, a kick ass sound system, and walls covered in music. Sheets, records, tapes, etc. At that moment the interviewer realized that Henry had whittled away all the fluff in his life, all the meaningless crap that people tend to collect and just let sit in a corner collecting dust. He had whittled it all down to what fuels his existence.
That article hung above my bed for 10 years. I even took it with me for a few as I moved around. I’m glad I remembered this today. I admire his conviction to walk his talk. Even if where he is at is a miserable hell hole ( meaning his head space ) he will be the first to tell you that it was by his own doing and the decisions he’s made. This is what I’ve interpreted from his books and spoken word tour.
I know what currently gives me a reason to get up in the morning. I also know the kind of mindset I want to practice. Every day I am given the luxury of making my own decisions.
To quote one of my favorite songs of his:
No such thing as spare time
No such thing as free time
No such thing as down time
All you got is life time. GO
