eThoughts : Random Holiday Thoughts: Part I, December 2007

Random Holiday Thoughts: Part I, December 2007

It’s not like I’m a guru or anything even close, so this entire topic of sage little thoughts seems ludicrous. And, besides, even if I was capable, why would I be a sage—they either live lonely lives, get killed, kicked out of their countries, or some such thing. Maybe I should call this stuff “work in progress thoughts,” after all, I have no notion of any pinnacle-type insights. It’s a grocery store folks, take the following random thoughts or leave them on the shelf as you see fit.

Why do we think we should sow our oats—sexually or otherwise, the sexual part especially about males and the otherwise part especially about females—before we couple up? Shouldn’t we be more conservative before we marry and then, having coupled, get crazy? What better way to be free then to be truly coupled?

Why is it that beauty in a human can trump inconsideration? Do we value beauty so much that we let it get away with pretty much anything? How weird is that?

Why is it that we complain so much about laws, but without them we likely wouldn’t do what we should? In order to have fewer laws, we have to have more consideration and we have to do what we should. Okay, what is it that we should be doing? Uh, looking out for each other? We’re not fodder to build up the precarious self-esteem of ourselves or others—we’re more than instrumental value. Yeah, yeah, all thee Scrooges, we can’t be considerate of everybody, right? Here’s a Holiday thought: Yes we can! There isn’t anybody or anything we can’t be considerate to. And there isn’t anybody or anything that can’t be considerate to us. It’s true that sometimes consideration means leaving people alone or people leaving us alone, but that’s consideration. And it’s true that sometimes we can’t leave people alone or that we can’t be left alone—sometimes it’s inconsiderate to do so. For instance, it is not always okay to let people run all over us in the name of not wanting to interfere with their lives. Being considerate of those who are being inconsiderate is sometimes not an act of consideration at all. Good luck learning the differences, but give it some consideration.

And speaking of learning, there isn’t a time when we can’t learn, there are just times when we don’t want to. Since there’s no way out of having times we don’t want to learn, why don’t we quit making excuses and just tell the truth—I don’t feel like learning? But if we don’t, we can’t be allowed to make decisions. And then it’s okay.

Hmmm, that brings up another thought: Why do we ask another why they lied? Why don’t we ask why they didn’t feel safe? Sure, maybe they’ll lie about that, but we could ask again why they didn’t feel safe.

Why do we think others work and toil and fight for freedom to do what we want? What if it’s really about working and toiling and fighting for the freedom to do the right thing? That may not necessarily be what we want. But most of us are not two-years old anymore.

Why is it that we spend so much time managing other people’s perception of ourselves? If we’re not good enough, maybe we should work on ourselves rather than others? If it is about others not being good enough to get who we are, maybe we shouldn’t bother trying to manage them.

In business or pleasure, why do we often want to get the most for the least? Shouldn’t we want to give the most and cost others the least? It’s a strange economy that goes for getting the most for the least, especially when we’re so busy trying to be better than the animal kingdom. Maybe evolution is waiting for us to evolve.

And finally, for now, why is it that we forgot to play? When did it become how much work we do that marks our worth? On some days, I think that’s the reason sages are alone or killed or country-less, not because of conflicting ideology, but just simply because the rest of us forgot to play.

Here’s to more fun and fewer traps. After all, it’s the Season to feel a bit safer and a bit more goodness.