Either I've been doing a lot more reading than usual or stranger things seem to manifest themselves these days.
A man from China has devised on an almost fool-proof plan to save his precious bicycle from being stolen. He has taken off the front wheels permanently and wheelies himself across town on its rear wheels; in fact he has become so adept at riding in this fashion that he claims a top speed of 32 km/h!
The first thing that comes to mind is that getting a unicycle might have had the same deterrent effect – but clearly this man was thinking out of the box AND thinking economically too (assuming he already had the bike in the first place). In my assumption the man had already come to the conclusion that a potential thief might be able to offload a unicycle but never a regular 'bi' cycle with only one wheel.
Obviously this man had been a centre of attraction, and most likely not any of the flattering kind. He has, in all likelihood, been relegated the unenviable status of 'a joke' among his neighbours and worthy of a good laugh by all those he passes on his commute everyday.
But as far as he is concerned... he probably doesn't give a rat's 'petunia' to what other's thought of his scheme. You know what, he may have hit on the key to true happiness when he had decided to do live HIS life on HIS terms; after all he was not inconveniencing anyone or asking anyone else to follow in his direction.
Which got me thinking (such a dangerous pastime!) that while most of us like to believe that we live our lives on our own terms, if we are honest, rarely do we really do so in public. When in public perhaps we succumb more often than not to easy conformity when we might want to do otherwise, lest we suffer disapproval or, worse, ridicule.
I am not of the opinion that people who conform are doing so to escape ridicule, but I think that over years of conforming or under the pressure to conform we may lose some of our latent individuality without knowing any better.
Granted exhibiting individuality by being irresponsible is not the goal, that would be idiocy. However, being something we rather not be can be idiocy too. Going with the flow might seem like a good way to live, but often if going with flow is contrary to our core individuality it can be cause for frustration... which leads to perhaps finding fault with everything and being angry with the world.
You know, sometimes jumping to conclusions is the easiest way to arrive at epiphanies... but seriously, we have but one life to live why not live it on our own terms.
The man in China was not looking out for media attention, he just needed to do what he needed to do. As eccentric as his solution to his problem seems, it does the trick and perhaps there lies the real truth... sometimes the best solution is not just the most obvious one (after all he could have just bought a sturdy lock to the same effect).
The mind is full of possibilities and innovative outlooks, but can be also bogged down with pre-conceived ill perceptions if we let it. Then there is the added unnecessary burden of being concerned with what the neighbours could say.
In my experience, no one really does give a 'rat's petunia' about what I do or how I live my life, save for idle gossip; I am just not that important in their lives, besides each one of them have their own problems and insecurities to contend with.
Funny thing is, they may even be worried about what I might think about them. And I don't.
Given a basic moral backbone and an affinity to do the right thing (most of the time) on reflex, we shouldn't disregard our thoughts completely; after all a square plug could potentially fit in a round hole – granted it might not make an ideal plug but it could very well get the job done.
And if the neighbours do talk, is it so hard to just let them?
A man from China has devised on an almost fool-proof plan to save his precious bicycle from being stolen. He has taken off the front wheels permanently and wheelies himself across town on its rear wheels; in fact he has become so adept at riding in this fashion that he claims a top speed of 32 km/h!
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| Don't cut it if it works... |
Obviously this man had been a centre of attraction, and most likely not any of the flattering kind. He has, in all likelihood, been relegated the unenviable status of 'a joke' among his neighbours and worthy of a good laugh by all those he passes on his commute everyday.
But as far as he is concerned... he probably doesn't give a rat's 'petunia' to what other's thought of his scheme. You know what, he may have hit on the key to true happiness when he had decided to do live HIS life on HIS terms; after all he was not inconveniencing anyone or asking anyone else to follow in his direction.
Which got me thinking (such a dangerous pastime!) that while most of us like to believe that we live our lives on our own terms, if we are honest, rarely do we really do so in public. When in public perhaps we succumb more often than not to easy conformity when we might want to do otherwise, lest we suffer disapproval or, worse, ridicule.
I am not of the opinion that people who conform are doing so to escape ridicule, but I think that over years of conforming or under the pressure to conform we may lose some of our latent individuality without knowing any better.
Granted exhibiting individuality by being irresponsible is not the goal, that would be idiocy. However, being something we rather not be can be idiocy too. Going with the flow might seem like a good way to live, but often if going with flow is contrary to our core individuality it can be cause for frustration... which leads to perhaps finding fault with everything and being angry with the world.
You know, sometimes jumping to conclusions is the easiest way to arrive at epiphanies... but seriously, we have but one life to live why not live it on our own terms.
The man in China was not looking out for media attention, he just needed to do what he needed to do. As eccentric as his solution to his problem seems, it does the trick and perhaps there lies the real truth... sometimes the best solution is not just the most obvious one (after all he could have just bought a sturdy lock to the same effect).
The mind is full of possibilities and innovative outlooks, but can be also bogged down with pre-conceived ill perceptions if we let it. Then there is the added unnecessary burden of being concerned with what the neighbours could say.
In my experience, no one really does give a 'rat's petunia' about what I do or how I live my life, save for idle gossip; I am just not that important in their lives, besides each one of them have their own problems and insecurities to contend with.
Funny thing is, they may even be worried about what I might think about them. And I don't.
Given a basic moral backbone and an affinity to do the right thing (most of the time) on reflex, we shouldn't disregard our thoughts completely; after all a square plug could potentially fit in a round hole – granted it might not make an ideal plug but it could very well get the job done.
And if the neighbours do talk, is it so hard to just let them?
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