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From The Chief Editor's Desk... |
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As we go through life, we “adopt” sayings and quotes that, in some respects, help define our view on the world. And, as we age, those sayings take on new meanings as the world around us changes and evolves. We all have those “adopted” sayings and quotes that we're fond of. So, here are some of my personal favorites. First up is “A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.” To be perfectly honest, that has been one of my favorites ever since I was a child. Just because you didn't plan ahead doesn't mean that I should have to hurry up or even alter my course to adapt to your lack of planning. In essence, at least to me, it means that we all have our roles to play in life, and it takes everyone doing their part for the end goal to be realized. When someone doesn't “pull their weight,” then it puts an extra burden on everyone else.  Portrait of Dad, by Lexi (age 7) Another of my favorite sayings isn't necessarily an original. I “borrowed” it from comedian Ron White, of Blue Collar Comedy Tour fame. It's “You can't fix stupid.” Look around, and you'll find examples of this all around you. It's things that, as you look around, you just go “what were they thinking?” Examples of this are endless. One of the more annoying versions of this happens where I live. They'll repave a road that has needed repaving for some time. Two weeks later, they come along to replace a water line or a gas line or some other line running under the road. Or maybe they're just digging up the newly repaved road because they can. Who knows. But, when they're finished digging up the newly paved road, performing the repairs or upgrades, and then patching their hole, that road is in barely better condition than it was before they repaved it. Repeatedly, the same thought goes through my mind every time they do this around here. You really couldn't have done those repairs or upgrades BEFORE you (finally) repaved the road? Now, we're all stuck with this shoddy repair and patch job for the next 10-20 years, before you come back around to repave it again. Of course, each time, the cycle repeats itself. That one leads into another of my favorite sayings. “Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.” Just because you CAN do something doesn't necessarily mean that you SHOULD do something. Some things are better left alone. Some things just can't be improved upon. Other things should just be left alone, because they're already as good as they can be. CAN you go 100 MPH down the interstate during rush hour? Maybe. Probably. But SHOULD you? Probably not. Bad things are going to happen. Software developers are especially prone to not understanding this. Just because you CAN change things around, even though they are working fine, does it mean you SHOULD? If you think about it, I'm sure you'd have no trouble finding other examples of this idiom in the world around you. The last one of my favorite sayings I'm going to divulge is S.O.S. Did you know, at least in my vocabulary, S.O.S. has four different meanings? Of course, most of us are fully aware of its original meaning: Save Our Ship. But, in my vocabulary, it has taken on three additional “definitions.” One is “stuck on stupid.” No matter how hard you try, you just can't budge a person from the path they are on. Another is “same ol' shiitake mushrooms.” Just remove “mushrooms” and shorten the type of mushroom referenced, and you get the full rendering. That doesn't really need an explanation, now does it? The last one is “shiny object syndrome.” My wife has this. She's VERY EASILY distracted by anything glittery, sparkly, or shiny. Thankfully, she's really down to earth, and doesn't clamor for the expensive shiny things. Her S.O.S. is easily triggered by less expensive glittery/sparkly/shiny things, and that's satisfying enough for her. Of course, since I spent the bulk of my employment working in acute care hospitals, I have to admit that most healthcare workers have their own little idioms and phrases that help them cope with the frequent intense situations they are faced with. But those are specific to the job, and not easily understood by those not having to deal with those types of situations. Some of them sound crass and insensitive, but they exist to help insulate and protect the mental welfare of the healthcare worker from the constant bombardment of their normal sensitivities by often surreal and traumatic situations faced on almost a daily basis. Don't be judgmental. I'm sure everyone reading this right now has their own collection of sayings and quotes that ring true for them. Life is like that. We all have unique experiences going through what we collectively call life. Some are good, others not so good, and yet others that are just downright awful, terrible, and/or painful. It's just part of what makes us each a unique individual. We are NOT the Borg, in the sense that we don't all have the same experiences, and we all don't have the same goals. We ARE the Borg, however, when it comes to striving to attain the best outcome for the collective good of all. Or, at least, we should be. Isn't that what Plato called “utopia?” Yes, a lofty goal, but ultimately unattainable. Thus, all we can do is strive to get as close to “utopia” as we possibly can. ********************
This month's cover image is created by AI, specifically Google ********************
Until next month, I bid you peace, happiness, serenity, prosperity, and continued good health!
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