Don't be a Stick in the Mud

I like to observe people.  I’m not an obsessive stalker or anything, I mean I just like to mull over the similarities and differences in the way that people conduct themselves and to wonder about why that is so.  I couldn’t do all that without being judgmental in some way, so I guess I also judge people.  Judging people can hurt them so you’ve got to be quite particular about what you say and to whom when you are moving to the next level of discussing your judgmental thoughts.

I’m quite good with metaphors and similies, and that seems like a good way to express the things you might want to say in an abstract way without upsetting any particular party, although to be fair, some people just like to get upset about the smallest things and they just can’t be helped- let them get upset.

So I’ve been thinking about journeys through life and the paths we

choose and what the outcomes are, and I think the best way to illustrate this is with twigs and sticks.  

For the boring/annoying/question asking types who lack imagination – choose the length and thickness of the stick as you see fit.  The stick can be made of anything, personally I’m thinking of a knotted and gnarled groovy looking fallen twig, but for the more diligent you may like to choose a piece of wood that has been fashioned into an even straight line and is more uniform looking.

Anyway, sigh, those boring types always distract from my creative meanderings with their annoyingly practical questions.

Anyway, my twig, as described above, enjoys the thrill of the river ride.  My twig jumps in with no prior planning, no expectations and just enjoys the ride.  If the water is still my twig enjoys floating and thinking about stuff, talking to other chilled out relaxed twigs, and just rejoicing in being a twig in the river. 

The boring sticks, they’re busy making plans to enter the river at the right point, they’re discussing and debating where the flow might take them, all the dangers involved if they enter at the wrong time and how they could minimise any damage that might occur.  They’re getting all bent out of shape over which way is the right way to float and how to maximise their success at floating down the river.  For a start, they’re not going to help any irresponsible twigs whose journey has hit a rough patch; it’s their fault if they didn’t plan ahead.

It’s true that my twig could get into a spot of bother because it’s just floating down the river sometimes seeing amazing things, and having amazing experiences and other times getting thrown around in the rapids and getting smashed into stuff.  But these difficulties mean that my twig is richer in life experiences, even though it may be battle scarred.  Also my twig has to come up with solutions to difficulties as they arise and that means it’s not wasting time planning for problems that may never arise but creatively responding to the ones that do.

By contrast, the straight and orderly sticks are floating through a very narrow, well planned route that will get them to their destination in the most efficient and successful way.  Any problems they run into won’t be ‘their fault’ it will be despite their best laid plans and just a part of the uncontrollable erratic features of the journey down the river.  If they can the orderly sticks will keep these issues to themselves in order to avoid the shame it might bring upon their strategic planning skills.  One might not even know they had troubles such are their skills at ‘faking it till they make it’.

My twig likes to collect colourful things and invite other twigs to

join them on their journey.  Travelling through the muddy waters and little pools at the edge of the river affords great leaf and other colourful item discoveries as well as party opportunities with like minded twigs.  Twigs are happy to party anytime but sticks have planned gatherings at responsible times.  Twig parties are out of control colourful events and stick parties are subdued.  Sticks make sure they are the straightest and cleanest they can be at parties, it’s important to mix with the right sticks to get ahead in life.

As twigs travel down the river they join up in little random rafts with bits of debris as their artwork, they support and help each other through the whole journey.  Sticks travel in small orderly groups, often in groups of two or four.  If someone in the group breaks the stick rules they set them adrift, and sometimes that stick joins the twigs and lives happily ever after.