What I learned from Curious (and often Cynical) George

Well, I must admit I'm quite proud of my upbringing. I started with constant Seinfeld episodes at my house, ever since I was a little kid, moved on to a steady diet of Monty Python at age 11-12, which quickly developed into obsession. I'm still able to quote most of their sketches and movies without thinking. I've often believed that if you get them young, they get into your DNA.
Which is most lucky for me because I quickly went through Mitch Hedberg, Billy Connolly, Andy Kaufman, Rik Mayall, and of course, George Carlin.

source

I fell in love with him, or more accurately, with his words, like I didn't know what had hit me. It was
love at the first potty gag. It was a teenage thrill, a crush on his absurdity and obnoxiousness and the way he just filled the whole stage.
And then, it was love when I heard him talk about politics and how badly we're getting screwed by politicians and the system.
It was...heart-warming, to find someone so true, so honest, so full of life and someone who could be funny while talking about such a crappy situation. He made it sound...better, if that's possible. And I knew I just wanted to keep listening to him. I knew I'd found someone I could trust, someone who could make sense of this messed-up world.

So, you can imagine how upset I was when I found out he was dead. Yeah. My guide through life was out of here, which was dismaying, but still, I figured I could make the best of the situation. I could learn everything I could from this man and I hoped that if I got the “basis”, the core stuff out of his material, maybe it would be enough to see me through life.

1. The government lies

A War on Homelessness
That might sound somewhat...obvious. I've met quite a few people on here who seem to share this belief, but you gotta learn it somewhere. And when this guy that I was so taken with kept talking about 9/11 and the government, and politics and the Bush administration, I was forced to listen 'cause then I wouldn't have anything to watch. And I learned a couple of stuff.

2. Language is important.

George Carlin - Euphemisms

Seriously, do you realize how important it is in your life? And how easily you can be controlled if someone gets hold of your tongue?
I don't mean it in the naughty way either, but that if someone else can tell you how to speak, what's okay and what is not, then they can tell you how to live, how to act.
Most of all, how to think. To quote George, we think in language.

3. Don't buy into the whole consumerism thing.

Life Is Worth Losing - Dumb Americans - George Carlin
We're all being tricked, or bought, if you prefer. They give us cheap thrills, make us think about what shirt to wear, what car is cool, what club is the best to shake our asses in. And they're robbing us blind, while we're doing that. And destroying the planet. So that, by the time we wake up, it'll be far too late.
If we ever do wake up, that is.

4. You gotta have guts

George Carlin - People are Boring

One thing that always stood out about George was the way he carried himself. He was, for lack of a better word, very cocksure. He had the guts to speak up for himself, to say what bothered him and what he didn't like. Hell, he made a living out of it. He taught me that it's okay to be yourself, you know, it's okay to have your own voice and stand even if no one stand with you.
It's okay to call people out on their bullshit.
You know, things like that. And I imagine it'a pretty dull life without them.

I don't know, there really are a lot of things that George said and believed in that I took to heart, you know? Like this -

source

And most of all, this -

source

Right, I forgot to tell you why I'm writing this today. Well, it's the 12th of May and it would've been his 71st birthday. And yet, he's been gone for ten years already. Doesn't that just suck? It sure sounds like it to me.
But that's not the point of this. The point is that we should still celebrate his birthday. I know I do.
And I know I've learned more than a few things from him, or at the very least, had a good laugh. And I really, really encourage you to check him out, if you haven't already.

Happy birthday, George <3