Four for Friday
Four For Friday – The Stuart Lisonbee Collection
Q1 – Wearing Your Emotions on Your Bumper: It’s been a little over a year since Colorado State University scientists published the results of a study showing a correlation between the number of bumper stickers a driver chooses to display and the likelihood of that driver experiencing road rage. How many bumper stickers do you have on your vehicle(s), and which one is your favorite? If you’re not a bumper sticker type of person, which is your favorite of those that you’ve seen?
This is the question that lured me into being a first time participant in this Friday meme.
I do have a bumper sticker. Two bumper stickers.
The first one asks “Are You Kind?”.
The second one says “The Best Things In Life Aren’t Things”.
I like them.
I am also aware that they are as annoying as smiley faces
and almost as annoying as asking WWJD? I think they may provoke road rage.
We have a convoluted, outdated five-corner intersection at the end of our street. It’s complicated to navigate in the best of times – this summer is not the best of times. We have construction closing the bridge at the other end of our street. Everyone is detoured to the five-corner intersection as an alternate route.
If I can imagine myself answering the question “Are You Kind ?” by pushing down hard on the accelerator and ramming my own bumper while shouting “NO! I Am Not Kind! MOVE!” – I should probably assume that a similar idea is forming in the head of the young man drumming his fingers on the wheel of his truck behind me….
Q2 – Secrets: I’ve long been interested in secret societies. A friend of mine is a Free Mason and a Shriner and has recently been hinting to me that he would like me to join the local lodge (unlike many secret societies, potential members are never invited — to become a Mason, one must ask to join). Since many of Masonry’s secrets aren’t so secret anymore, I admit to losing some interest in it, but am still considering joining. Have you ever been “tapped in” or otherwise joined a secret society? If not, would you ever consider it? Why or why not?
I like this question too…
Around 20 years ago, when my daughter was middle-school age, her friend invited her to a meeting of the Rainbow Girls. I liked the idea of my daughter visiting her friends’ churches, learning about different beliefs, all that good peace and love stuff. But I wasn’t familiar with the Rainbow Girls. I knew it had something to do with the friend’s father being a Mason? I called her friend’s Mom to ask if she would fill me in a bit on what the girls would be doing at the Rainbow Girls meeting.
The friend’s Mom was sorry, but she couldn’t do that. Meetings couldn’t be discussed with non-members. But the girls would have a great time – her daughter loved Rainbow Girls.
She said What???
Oh my.
I’m sure that the Rainbow Girls is a fine organization. I’m sure the girls would have had a lovely time. But I could not give my permission for my child to go off to any sort of “secret” activity with people who won’t tell me what’s going to happen there. That’s insane.
And not at all Kind.
(Yes, I know I didn’t answer the question as asked. It’s still a good story, isn’t it?)
Q3 – I Want to Believe: Like the poster hanging in Fox Mulder’s office says, I want to believe. I believe there are intelligent beings, much like ourselves, living on other planets. However, as much as I want to believe that one of those alien races has visited and is currently visiting Earth, I don’t believe that is the case. Do you believe in space aliens, and if so, do you believe they have ever visited Earth?
Yes, well, I used to get all snooty whenever this question came up. Aliens, indeed. Foolishness and nothing but. I believe in Angels and Guiding Spirits and Life after death. People who believe in aliens, on the other hand, are crackpots.
Or not.
What if we’re all describing the same reality and many of the same beliefs, we’re just using a different vocabulary? Maybe one man’s alien is another man’s angel?
I’ve gotten down from my high horse a great many times as the years have gone by. These days I’m content to just plod along on an ass with everyone else. And their angels or aliens – I’ll let you tell me.
Q4 – Politics and Interpretive Dance: My favorite book is “Starship Troopers” by Robert Heinlein, which I first read as a teen back in the late 80’s. But it wasn’t until recently that I realized there was so much controversy over Heinlein’s statements on war, American culture, politics, the military, etc. To me, it was just an enjoyable story. When you read a fictional story or watch a movie, do you simply try and enjoy it, or do you seek some deeper meaning or life’s lesson from the author’s/director’s intended message?
I just read along happily – if there’s a deeper meaning or a life lesson thrown in (and I catch it), that’s an added bonus.
That’s the Four -
a fun meme, a chance to ramble on for while,
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