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
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
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.
