About Johnny Walker Wisdom
Q: Where did the name Johnny Walker Wisdom come from?
A: From Leonard Cohen’s “Closing Time”:
Ah we’re drinking and we’re dancing
and the band is really happening
and the Johnny Walker wisdom’s running high
Q: What does “One man’s pursuit of a life that is more awesome” mean?
A: Well, quite honestly, I was just trying to come up with a fancy way of telling you that I want to better myself because that sounds like something a convicted felon would say.
Q: So what’s the point of Johnny Walker Wisdom?
A: To document how I go about being more awesome, which can mean a million different things. It can mean something as simple as drinking more water, or something as profound as letting go of the resentment I feel towards my parents. I hope to become more awesome in big ways, but I’ve lived enough life to know that it’s the small awesome steps that you take that get you where you want to go.
Q: Are getting all New Agey on me?
A: No.
Q: Are you going to?
A: Not if you don’t.
Q: This sounds like a lot of hard work.
A: It probably will be. I would expect that en–, er, bettering oneself requires hard work.
Q: You were going to say enlightenment, weren’t you?! I thought there would be no feel good mumbo jumbo.
A: Sorry, I caught myself. But there may be a little.
Q: So this site has nothing to do with booze?
A. No. You sound disappointed.
A: Well, wouldn’t you be disappointed if you visited a site looking for drink recipes with Johnny Walker and instead discovered a complete stranger’s quest for awesomeness?
A: Good point. But I think I can help you.
Q: How?
A: I don’t know. Maybe you’ll find that I’m looking for the same thing I am.
Q: Like Johnny Walker drink recipes?
A: No – ways to live a fuller live. Maybe to you, that means losing weight. Maybe to me, it means being a better writer
Q: OK, so far what I’ve gathered from this little project of yours is that I’m fat and you’re a shitty writer
A: No, that’s not what I’m saying. I was giving some random examples. I’m a fucking awesome writer!
Q: Relax, I was kidding. Boy, you have really thin skin.
A: I know. That’s one of the things I need to work on.
Q: So what were you saying about us looking for the same thing?
A: Right. Well, you think about being a better parent or lover, or maybe making more money. I might think about running a marathon or having a closer relationship with my brother. The point is that we’re all trying to get more out of life.
Q: I agree, but why the website?
A: Because I don’t really know how. I mean, I think of myself as successful, but there are days I think I could be doing more. More little things. More big things. I need to feel and sense that I’m moving forward in all aspects of my life, and quite honestly, I don’t always feel that way.
Q: But again, why the website?
A: Oh, right. Well, it’s a way to track my attempt to live life more like the way I think it should be lived. I’m going to set goals for myself and go back and see what I accomplished. I guess I can do that in a notebook, but I thought it might be motivating for people to watch me have a go at it.
Q: “Watch me have a go at it?” What, are you British?
A: No, I’m not sure why I said it like that. I’m not even sure what that means. It just sounded cool.
Q: Why didn’t you just include these goals in your New Year’s resolutions?
A: Two reasons:
1) Because those never last. For example, most people who go on a diet on January 1 are dipping their pizza in ranch on January 3.
2) I didn’t want this to all be forced, like Valentine’s Day. Everyone feels so pressured to get their partner something spectacular and romantic on this one day, which is why men stress and end up at Walmart at 2 a.m. spending $39.95 on a red gorilla that smashes cymbals together and sings “Let’s Get It On.” I didn’t want to be the guy shopping for the gorilla.
Q: So basically, you want to try to be happier, right?
A: No, not necessarily. I mean, sure, everyone wants to be happier, but that’s too vague. I want to get more out of life. I want to put more thoughts into motion. I want to ask more questions and find more answers. I want to act more in accordance with how I think.
Q: So you’re really going to do this?
A: Yup.
Q: Cool. Good luck. Mind if I go take a nap?
A: Don’t you want to be more awesome?
Q: Can I just watch you and see how it goes?
Q: Sounds good to me. But when you wake up, ask yourself what you could be doing today. Or what you could be doing differently tomorrow.