When I had just started my master's program in history, I took a class called "5060." The course was called Intro to History, or something along those lines. I don't rightly remember, or should I say maybe I don't want to remember.
I thought that maybe I had this academic process thing figured out, then along comes "5060." I learned an extraordinary amount of useful knowledge in that class, one nugget being I was a moron. I don't know if I really learned that, or was it merely being reinforced as a reminder to not get too heady.
The class was led by, I say "led" rather than taught because this professor gave us the tools, it was up to us to figure out how to use them. He "led" us to water secretly knowing some of us would drown. I love him for it. Taking that class allowed me to excel at the other classes that followed. Here is where I give props to Dr. Ken Osgood for many lessons learned, not all heeded at that particular moment in time.
One thing he told us in his introductory lecture was, besides that was to be his only lecture of the semester, was, and I'm paraphrasing here: "You'll never read a book, newspaper, or magazine; watch a television show, the news or a movie, in the same way ever again." With those words, and the subsequent teachings for the next two years; I became a critical thinker of the first order...or so I perceive myself.
The problem that has arisen from this metamorphosis is that, as my friend Gregg says, "I spend too much time thinking"... about pretty much everything. From the most mundane and commonplace, to the most complex or advanced; each and every observation has a context big or small. My company (which right now seems to be a non-profit organization) slogan for Wahdai Consulting is "We'll have to think about it." Draw your own conclusions.
How does this or that fit my worldview. How does this or that support theories I've developed about our culture and society. Who the fuck cares? But there have have been things I've observed the last couple of weeks that have summoned my powers of critical thinking.
The first I posted on Facebook. Here on Interstate 95 in Florida we have what is called the HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle; gas conservation you know) lane. Between the hours of 7:00am and 9:00am, and 4:00pm and 6:00pm, there must be multiple passengers in any vehicle for one to travel legally in this lane. This law is scoffed at by the thousands. Every now and again you'll see a State Trooper issuing a summons to a lone driver for such an offense; a true rarity indeed. However, what I found particularly galling one beautiful winter morn about 8:15, was a young lady driving a Prius Hybrid of all things, tooling along in the HOV lane. I queried on Facebook if this could be considered a paradox. A stereotypical tree hugger hypocritically flaunting her misguided, pretentious, conservation of the earth's precious resources illegally. I wanted to take a picture for posterity...and then shoot her.
The second I didn't post on Facebook but should have. Another environmentally conscious young lady (purely coincidence...or is it?), on her way to further her education at Florida Atlantic University, came upon what is now a normal occurrence; traffic back up at the traffic light at the Glades Road exit from the highway. The light offers two lanes to go left and two to go right -toward FAU. The self-centered, self-absorbed, inconsiderate shithead; merrily wheeled her Scion toaster with tires, into the left turn only lane, and then turned right so as to bypass all the folks patiently waiting to turn right. I noticed the bumper sticker she had affixed to the back door of her vehicle. You've seen them; it said "Coexist," with all the symbols of every organized religion (oxymoron) known to man.
My first thought was, coexist with whom? She obviously can't coexist with anyone else in humanity exemplified by her need to form her own rules. I assume the rules the rest of us abide by weren't meant for her. Besides, who'd want to coexist with a douche like that who'd exploit the meaning of a bumper sticker to get compassion from others. Fuck her too; just another hypocrite with some stupid half-assed agenda.
The last occurred at a traffic light near my house. Don't ask me why these all happened when I was driving, there were probably others, but these three peaked my curiosity.
As I've stated before, the United States has the largest church going population in the world, around ten percent. However, American Christians (perhaps another oxymoron?), seem to have this insatiable need to adorn their cars with some sort of paraphernalia that calls attention to their devout attachment to Christianity.
Recently, I was at a wedding where I met a gentleman who was French and had lived all over the world. I asked him if the other places he'd lived was there such a overt display of religiosity? He said flatly, "No, only here you see that sort of thing."
Fueled with this information that I had pretty much suspected all along, just needed confirmation; I observed two women (eerie if you ask me) in their respective vehicles in the two lanes in front of me. On one was a bumper sticker that read "I, a heart symbol, Jesus." On the other was not only one of those fish symbols, but for good measure a bumper sticker that read "God loves you." Why must these people feel the need to show everyone they come in contact with where their allegiance lay? I thought if I had a bumper sticker on my car, -if I was so inclined to even consider putting a bumper sticker on my car -that read "god is a superstition," these two people in front of me would follow me to where I was going, and as soon as I was out of sight, one would slash my tires, while the other keyed the paint.
I couldn't help think why not just act Christian rather than show or tell everyone you're Christian. Why not coexist rather than remind people to do so. Wouldn't that accomplish more? Why recruit if you don't even know the fucking cause? It's like those parents who take their kids to protest abortion clinics. What seven year old even knows why they're there unless the parents are already indoctrinating them? And, what kind of parent discusses abortion with a seven year old?
Maybe I'm not supposed to understand what motivated these people. Maybe I'm not supposed to figure it out either. Maybe I'm supposed to just readily accept every contradiction and hypocrisy that occurs in my daily life. Maybe I'm supposed to point these inconsistencies out to dolts like these. No, they're too into themselves to give a shit about what someone else has to say. Better for them to be oblivious to their state of mind, if they indeed have formulated one that doesn't require hours of extensive therapy.
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