They say to learn how to best live our lives, we should take advice from those who have succeeded, the men and women who have climbed to the top of the mountain where we all want to be.

Yet good advice can sometimes come from the downtrodden, from the losers, not the winners. Their insights into human nature can be oddly significant even though they never made it to the top of the mountain; fact, they had zero interest trying to climb it.

One such person was Charles Bukowski, a 20th century American poet, novelist, and short story writer. When he wrote, he drank alcohol. When he didn’t write, he drank more alcohol. He never denied his alcoholism and admitted he was drunk much more than sober and jobless more than employed. When he did work, he sorted post office mail. He was also paid a little money to read his poetry in public, but his invitations to get more opportunities ended after a few of his readings at nightclubs enraged audiences into drunken brawls that trashed the establishments.

Bukowski was an icon for the counterculture movement of the late 1960s. He appealed to the disenfranchised American youth, young men and women who did not want to become their parents, working 40 hours a week for 30 years and always miserable, only to die from illnesses caused by stress.

Bukowski made unwise choices about his lifestyle and yet many of his insights into life, brutally unfiltered, are still relevant in today’s world. Let’s take a closer look into some of the things he had to say followed by some thoughts from me.

“Sometimes you climb out of bed in the morning and you think, I’m not going to make it, but you laugh inside - remembering all the times you’ve felt that way.” Getting out of a nice warm bed and stepping into a coldhearted world is what we do; it’s especially difficult when an alarm awakens us into what is still the black of night. And yet, we find some way to carry on for years and years of tomorrow mornings.

“We’re all going to die, all of us, what a circus! That alone should make us love each other but it doesn’t. We are terrorized and flattened by trivialities; we are eaten up by nothing.” You would think our inevitable destiny toward death would inspire us to live loving and meaningful lives. Yet, how many unhappy people go to their graves only to be forgotten as if they had never lived?

“I wanted the whole world or nothing. Almost everybody is born a genius and buried an idiot. Beware of those who seek constant crowds; they are nothing alone. The free soul is rare, but you know it when you see it - basically because you feel good, very good, when you are near or with them.” Why do we have this fascination with talking heads, attention seekers, those who convince us they have something important to say. And the free soul, those rare men and women who follow no one’s persuasion, who reject the gods of politics and mouths of media and turn their heads away from the self-righteous public figures.

“The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.” This quote needs no interpretations.

“ ... We are born into this - hospitals which are so expensive that it’s cheaper to die, into lawyers who charge so much it’s cheaper to plead guilty. ... Into a place where the masses elevate fools into rich heroes.” And if I might add another, we are born into realizing that our prisons are safer than the schools our children attend.

“This is very important - to take leisure time. Pace is the essence. Without stopping entirely and doing nothing at all for great periods, you’re gonna lose everything ... just to do nothing at all, is very, very important. And how many people do this in modern society? Very few. That’s why they’re all totally mad, frustrated, angry and hateful.” With sarcasm intended, it should be declared that every third Thursday of the month is National Do Nothing Day. Stay home. Don’t move from the couch. Rest the body and think of nothing.

“There’s a bluebird in my heart that wants to get out, but I’m too tough for him. I say, stay in there, I’m not going to let anybody see you.” I grew up taught that a man has to be strong and never show emotion. I have failed that lesson and I’m good with that. I admire those who have great inner strength, but can tear up after they watch the ending of a sad movie.

“Dogs and angels are not very far apart.” Maybe only a cat would disagree with this one.

“You invented me and I invented you and that’s why we don’t get along.” Be everything that everyone wants you to be. See how that works for you. Check the puppet masters at the door.

“Of course, it’s possible to love a human being if you don’t know them too well.” We say the word love like we know what is in the beginning and then we fail to realize what it truly is in the end.

“Find something you love and let it kill you.”

These words make me think of something else written by someone else.

“Love is the answer. Who cares what the question is?”

Rich Strack can be reached at richiesadie11@gmail.com