A Brief Discussion on Rules (and some other junk)
Wednesday night. Curled up on my couch with six blankets on top of me (no joke! I'm still freezing!) and I'm downloading music. I saw two great live concerts on the HD channel recently and decided I needed to download the songs. The concerts were Coldplay (don't hate me) and Franz Ferdinand. Listening to Franz Ferdinand as the downloads are coming. I'm going to burn a disc so I can play these bands in the car. I need some new drivin' tunes.
This past week at open mic was a good one. I played Endless and Wildflowers by Tom Petty.
Here is the video that Jeffrey T. took of my song:
At this point, I'd like to have a little discussion about rules.
There are a lot of rules that we follow as individuals on a daily basis. Most rules protect us from purposely or not-so-purposely inflicting others with injuries, death, or other not-injury-or-death-related things. For example: when driving and the traffic light turns red, one stops -- which prevents one from running into other cars, pedestrians, and seeing-eye-dogs. In such instances where traffic lights turn red, and the rules are followed, people do not become injured or dead. In such instances, rules are helpful to individuals and society.
There are many types of rules. Some rules we learn as children and they help us reach adulthood. For example: look both ways before crossing the street; and/or mom and dad have to check your Halloween candy for needles BEFORE you eat it. Ouch. Ever had a Reese's peanut butter and needle cup? If you had had one, you'll not have forgotten it.
Some rules, we learn as adults. For example: mail in your taxes by April 15th.
These rules protect us and society and we learn them and follow them because we know that if we don't, we'll face certain consequences including injury and death... or jail.
Some rules, however, we follow blindly and don't question. We have never dealt with consequences for the rules, but people in our lives have ingrained them in our heads. As such, we don't break the rules.
Such rules are often of the type that don't result in injury or death and, yet, we follow them for no other reason than because people have told us to.
These are rules that need to be tested.
Why? Because the people who have told us these rules have not tested them. They simply were told to follow them and blindly did so.
I have begun to test rules that I have followed blindly for much of my life.
Why? Because there is no one around to stop me.
Recently, I was dumping a basket of dirty clothes into the washer. If you have seen me and took notice of my clothing on multiple occasions, you can probably guess that it was a load of dark clothes (a.k.a. "darks"). Much of my attire is black or dark gray or deep shades of blues or greens. I own two pairs of Khaki colored pants... but that's beside the point...
As the clothes were dumped into the washer, I noted an anomaly. A white shirt was intermixed.
I pulled the shirt, which is a t-shirt I wear to sleep in (it was a gift and I didn't want to waste it, but don't want to wear it in public), out of the washing machine and tossed it in a separate laundry basket that beheld "whites." The aforementioned "whites" that resided in the basket were a pair of socks and the t-shirt.
I paused for a moment, staring at the basket and three items of clothing that it beheld. My mind did some quick reasoning (QUESTION: how long will it take before I have a "full load" of "whites" in this basket? ANSWER: Three Months).
Not wanting to wait three months before I had a full load of white clothing to put in the washing machine, I made a wicked decision.
I only thought about it for a second or two. Then, I pulled the "whites" out of the basket and tossed them into the washing machine with my "darks."
I'd lie if I didn't say I was slightly concerned that the world might end. Or I would open the washing machine door later that day and find a wormhole to the underworld where my laundry should be.
With excitement and a little fear, I closed the door to the washing machine. Then I laughed a villainous laugh and went upstairs to play Farmville.
I returned an hour or so later and opened the door carefully. No underwordly demons... good. I pulled my laundry out slowly and inspected every few pieces as I put them in the dryer. I took extra time to look at the white socks and white t-shirt.
My conclusion? Break rules. Some of them are bullshit. My "whites"? White. My "darks"? Dark. My washing machine? Not a portal to hell.
What rule will I break next? Shoes. I have been leaving them on the floor by the door where I kicked them off after coming home from wherever. Thus far, they have not grown arms and legs and attempted to murder me in my sleep. I will continue test this rule and report back periodically.
Even so, there are other rules that need to be tested. Let me know if you have any that you are reluctant to try on your own. I will be the rule tester and make reports. All I need is a rule: like separating "whites" and "darks" and a hypothesis: like this rule is bullshit.
Science.
This past week at open mic was a good one. I played Endless and Wildflowers by Tom Petty.
Here is the video that Jeffrey T. took of my song:
At this point, I'd like to have a little discussion about rules.
There are a lot of rules that we follow as individuals on a daily basis. Most rules protect us from purposely or not-so-purposely inflicting others with injuries, death, or other not-injury-or-death-related things. For example: when driving and the traffic light turns red, one stops -- which prevents one from running into other cars, pedestrians, and seeing-eye-dogs. In such instances where traffic lights turn red, and the rules are followed, people do not become injured or dead. In such instances, rules are helpful to individuals and society.
There are many types of rules. Some rules we learn as children and they help us reach adulthood. For example: look both ways before crossing the street; and/or mom and dad have to check your Halloween candy for needles BEFORE you eat it. Ouch. Ever had a Reese's peanut butter and needle cup? If you had had one, you'll not have forgotten it.
Some rules, we learn as adults. For example: mail in your taxes by April 15th.
These rules protect us and society and we learn them and follow them because we know that if we don't, we'll face certain consequences including injury and death... or jail.
Some rules, however, we follow blindly and don't question. We have never dealt with consequences for the rules, but people in our lives have ingrained them in our heads. As such, we don't break the rules.
Such rules are often of the type that don't result in injury or death and, yet, we follow them for no other reason than because people have told us to.
These are rules that need to be tested.
Why? Because the people who have told us these rules have not tested them. They simply were told to follow them and blindly did so.
I have begun to test rules that I have followed blindly for much of my life.
Why? Because there is no one around to stop me.
Recently, I was dumping a basket of dirty clothes into the washer. If you have seen me and took notice of my clothing on multiple occasions, you can probably guess that it was a load of dark clothes (a.k.a. "darks"). Much of my attire is black or dark gray or deep shades of blues or greens. I own two pairs of Khaki colored pants... but that's beside the point...
As the clothes were dumped into the washer, I noted an anomaly. A white shirt was intermixed.
I pulled the shirt, which is a t-shirt I wear to sleep in (it was a gift and I didn't want to waste it, but don't want to wear it in public), out of the washing machine and tossed it in a separate laundry basket that beheld "whites." The aforementioned "whites" that resided in the basket were a pair of socks and the t-shirt.
I paused for a moment, staring at the basket and three items of clothing that it beheld. My mind did some quick reasoning (QUESTION: how long will it take before I have a "full load" of "whites" in this basket? ANSWER: Three Months).
Not wanting to wait three months before I had a full load of white clothing to put in the washing machine, I made a wicked decision.
I only thought about it for a second or two. Then, I pulled the "whites" out of the basket and tossed them into the washing machine with my "darks."
I'd lie if I didn't say I was slightly concerned that the world might end. Or I would open the washing machine door later that day and find a wormhole to the underworld where my laundry should be.
With excitement and a little fear, I closed the door to the washing machine. Then I laughed a villainous laugh and went upstairs to play Farmville.
I returned an hour or so later and opened the door carefully. No underwordly demons... good. I pulled my laundry out slowly and inspected every few pieces as I put them in the dryer. I took extra time to look at the white socks and white t-shirt.
My conclusion? Break rules. Some of them are bullshit. My "whites"? White. My "darks"? Dark. My washing machine? Not a portal to hell.
What rule will I break next? Shoes. I have been leaving them on the floor by the door where I kicked them off after coming home from wherever. Thus far, they have not grown arms and legs and attempted to murder me in my sleep. I will continue test this rule and report back periodically.
Even so, there are other rules that need to be tested. Let me know if you have any that you are reluctant to try on your own. I will be the rule tester and make reports. All I need is a rule: like separating "whites" and "darks" and a hypothesis: like this rule is bullshit.
Science.