Even at my ripe age of fifty, there’s still things in life (or at least in our culture and society) I don’t understand. I’ve started a list of those things. Because the mind likes to observe and catalog things. And because people like to explain things. It makes us comfortable when we can explain stuff.

1. Insurance – Why do states (like Florida) have laws requiring people to buy auto insurance and insurance agencies encourage you also to pay for coverage that covers “uninsured motorists”? If it’s the law, then why doesn’t the state (Florida in my example) cover the uninsured? Or at least force the uninsured to pay for all accidents that are their fault? Which brings me to #2…
2. No Fault Accidents – There’s no such thing. Someone is always at fault. I understand that it takes two to tango so to speak, or multiple people at fault but no one at fault? I’m not buying that logic unless you’re driving down the road and a tree falls over on your car.
3. Late Fees – It seems this archaic situation penalizes the very people who CAN’T afford to pay. If the person had the money, they’d have paid the bill when it was due, duh!
4. Credit Bureau’s – Okay, anyone who knows me, knows I’ve yammered about this subject for years. Credit bureau’s should be illegal and outlawed. Period. They are a private entity amassing too great of control over private individuals lives. They affect how much interest you to pay to a financial institution, whether you can rent certain apartments or homes, whether you can buy a home, and often as well (which really annoys me) influence a company’s decision whether to hire you or not. I say, if they want to remain in business fine, but each citizen should have control over what is released in the file. Oh I know you can “fight” errors on your reports but why is the burden of that fight on the individual? If you become a victim of identity theft you’ll find out real fast just how much power these behemoths wield over you.
5. Science – People have said to me various times, “I’ll believe this or that when science proves it”. Well my friend you’ll be waiting a l-o-n-g time! Science is by definition, the observation and cataloging of particular things. And science evolves. It’s always changing. Scientists haven’t figured out all of the chemical make up of an apple, can’t tell you exactly how your brain works (granted daily they make great strides), nor can they define or better yet, agree, on how the universe works. Theories, all they have are observations, quantifications, and THEORIES.
6. Schools of Thought – Adding to why I don’t understand #5, I learned a long time ago there are various “schools of thought” on every subject. So, why would you want to limit your thought to what science (someone else) has to say about your world, your body, or your mind? I say, find your true self, align with it, and be happy. There’s a different school of thought about what you should eat, “science” can prove or disprove it seems, just about every theory. I say check out who funds their studies.
7. Free Speech – It seems we’ve lost our entitlement and right in this country to FREE SPEECH. Please stand up for free speech (whether you agree with what is being said or not). Seems like that should be a no-brainer but for lots of reasons people seem to want to control what people say. This came to a head for me when folks with a baby in a bar complained about us (two middle-aged educated folks sitting at the bar – the family was behind us at a table) saying a certain word a couple times that they disagreed with. First, we were in a bar, and second, who gives them the right? My husband and I were having a casual enlightened but FUN discourse going on between us, not being loud or brassy, and just happened to use this “word”. If those folks didn’t want their baby, and I do mean this was an infant, not to hear that word, they’d best move along. The bartender told us if we used that “word” any more we’d have to leave because we were in a “family bar”. What?!?! Kids are going to hear that word in a bar, a grocery store, Wal-mart, movie theater, walking in the mall, or coming from a car next to them in traffic. Get over it. Really?
8. Source – In programming it all depends on who owns, controls, or has access to the source code. You can’t do anything very complex to the program without access to the source code. So, why let someone else, me or a doctor, tell you what’s wrong with your body (your source code). I don’t care how many degrees the person has, or how many years they went to school. They had to practice on someone (lets hope not on you)! No one knows you and your body, like YOU do. I’ve heard people say, “listen to your body” – and I’d believe that to be a good rule of thumb, except – there are exceptions. Sometimes our bodies are controlled by other forces. For example, if you have an addiction to something – that substance has set off certain cell receptors in the body to make you “think” you want whatever it is you’re addicted to, nicotine, sugar, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, all come to mind as examples. I once had a doctor tell someone in my presence that he couldn’t be physically addicted to marijuana – only mentally. Later it was determined (evolving science) that one CAN be physically addicted to the THC component in marijuana.

So I guess, it really doesn’t matter what you know, what you study, or what you do – who believes you anyway? There’s a phrase I’ve heard recently that seems to fit here. Familiarity breeds contempt. It’s why Jesus Christ had a problem getting those whom he had grown up with to follow him and why he had to travel to recruit the twelve disciples. Another thought comes to mind… isn’t it absolutely amazing what twelve people can accomplish – like start Christianity – when they all are of like-mind?

In this day and age of viral marketing, I’d like to see more great ideas “take off.” I’d like it if we could shed some of the things that hinder us. Wouldn’t it be nice?

For me, I’m trying not to take myself so seriously – no one else does.