on ruts and grooves.

Saturday, February 10, 2007

The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget.
- Thomas Szasz

i remember in high school the severe disdain i developed for routine. being at school by 7:30, going from room to room at 50 min intervals, allowed five minutes between and a thirty minute lunch. At 3:15 school let out and it was off to work until eight, afterward it was home for dinner, do what little homework i felt was absolutely necessary, be in bed by ten so i could be at school by 7:30. and so it went.

it seemed so interminable that every time i considered how much longer i had, it felt like i was counting down a prison term.

of course, high school eventually ended and it was off to college and, of course, more work. college lacked the structure and accountability that was present at LISD and in such an environment i thrived, but we are comfortable in what we're accustomed to and under these situations i developed my own routines, as we all do.

the reason, i fear, people are comfortable in routine is that it affords us the ability to turn off our brains and run on auto-pilot. while this, sometimes, allows us to concentrate ourselves on tasks at hand, hobbies, projects, or other pursuits, it also creates a sort of mental laziness makes us easily distracted. when we get used to running without having to think we expect others to do our thinking for us. this kind of institutionalization is found in the military, in prisons, in corporations, and, unfortunately, with roadies.

not all of them, mind you, just the ones who are used to having other people think for them, which is something all of us are capable of. these people are followers and laborers, they're hired because their strong backs and willing hands...this existance doesn't satisfy me, just as the mindless routine didn't satisfy me in leonard schools.

that doesn't mean i'm not guilty of it, just that i'm not satisfied by it...stop using my brain and try using yours.

have a nice day.