Rock the boat, a don't rock the boat baby.........

Me, but just for a moment, PROMISE!

My father, with good intent I'm certain, once said I was a follower.  And he was correct.  He'd arrange to pay me to paint a room in the house, I'd get everything ready, just as the screwdriver pried the lid offa the paint......... RINGGGGGG RINNNGGGGG.. Oh hi (enter friend's name here), SURE, I'd love to go!,,, and I was gone, off, following the lead of my buddies, no mind for myself, or, so he suggested and or just wanted to make me aware of.

At what age do we learn to think for ourselves?  Or, do we ever?

It's probably the damn hippies' fault. Reject the establishment, Middle class values? HA! Hell no we won't go, sex, drugs, rock n roll, or something like that.

“Bad instructors teach you what to think, worse ones teach you how to think, but the good ones teach you how important it is to learn to think for yourself.”   Vincent H. O'Neil.   Can you say "Curriculum?" And if so, is that word stringent, or, is there flexibility within?

Edgar Winter's Free Ride.....  He played most of the instruments himself (sax, keyboard, guitar), then, used a technique called overdubbing, recorded separately, then layered 'em on toppa each other.... I done peeked at 'song meaning' and found "Although “Free Ride” is a fun song to listen to, it does have a deeper message. The lyrics encourage listeners to take control of their lives and live with purpose and intention. The line, “If you want to change the world / Closer look at yourself and make that / Change in you,” is a reminder that each individual has the power to make a positive impact on the world."

Victor?  Where you going with this?

I ain't real sure.  If you are a follower (HA) shake your head up and down if you too believe the older ya get, the more ya think for yourself.  Sure, sure... we must abide by the laws of the land.. "Stand in line here to vote"...  But, the HOA won't allow that..  Well, then I guess if we wanna live here, we'd better not do that.  Yes, you must first go to the Courthouse and pay your property taxes to enable you to renew the license on your car.  How can you have any pudding if yer don't eat yer meat?  NO SOUP FOR YOU.

My buddy Jimmy and I..... whenever our IT department would roll out a 'new version' of anything, it was enough to fluster two old dudes.  With a gripe gripe here (me) and a gripe gripe there (Jimmy), here a gripe (me), there a gripe (Jimmy), everywhere a gripe gripe. (Both of us.)  Jimmy's girlfriend was a retired computer programmer for a heap big company.  She said "You two are exactly the type I would show the new version to before rolling it out."  Very nicely, she said we were the "Why this? How come I gotta do that? Why couldn't you have just..." that, maybe she might notta thought about all that.. or, at least would/could help her explain the 'whys', or, maybe she could even improve upon it!

"“Every manmade disaster begins when one man thinks for another. However benevolent they begin, the ultimate outcome is tyranny.”"  John Kramer

A friend I met recently in Mehico had a post I really liked: "And she had this weird habit of being herself all the time; that's why not everyone liked her."

"It's Easier to Ask Forgiveness Than It Is To Get Permission", Rear Admiral Grace Hopper..  You tell 'em Grace!,I'll tap ma' foot!

Our local Community is putting on the next ballot, something about expanding our Community Center, new buildings, more expansion of the pools, including a Lazy River ride.  If you've ever been on one, my take anyways, heaven.  It's a mostly circular water thingy, you go round and round and round.. peaceful.. relaxing.. and ya ain't gotta do a thing.  That's the way, uh huh uh huh, I like it. But too, I reckon like my father suggested, we gotta get outta 'rut' occasionally, go, do, create.

The message of “Free Ride” (Remember?  Edgar?) continues to be relevant today. In a world where we are constantly bombarded with messages about what we should do and who we should be, “Free Ride” is a reminder to live life on our own terms. It encourages us to take risks and pursue our dreams, no matter how uncertain the future may seem.

“She just wanted to take one step that belonged to her, make one move that she had independently decided to make, but at every turn it felt as if her strings were being pulled by unseen hands.” Emma Torzs, Ink Blood Sister Scribe.

"“Mrs Windermere: Can you imagine what people would say?

Mrs Erlynne: if we're always guided by other people's thoughts what's the point of having our own?”
― Oscar Wilde & Howard Himelstein

Victor, you're just copying and pasting this whole damn thing! Can't you think for yourself?

Bite me.

And then ole Dolly, when she ain't singing about the regular of grind of 9 to 5, says "Find out who you are and do it on purpose."

Ms. Rosa Parks said ""We will fail when we fail to try!"

This one is kinda similar to something I'd read from friend Ben who had learned it from our friend Skip (may he rest in peace.) "If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” ― Booker T. Washington

Dare to be different. March to Free Ride, Don't Think Twice, It's Alright,  

Paint outside the lines..  I reckon we're motivated by things of our own interest... satisfaction.. and the challenge of it all.

Victor?  Yes?  You preaching here?  Ahm, it's like that one guy said..  “Bad instructors teach you what to think, worse ones teach you how to think, but the good ones teach you how important it is to learn to think for yourself.”   Vincent H. O'Neil. 

ie, you be you............it's a good thing.

Rock the boat, a don't rock the boat baby.  A what the hell, take two dramamine, rock away, then call me in the morning.....

Happy day.. off to paint my bedroom.. but, will try to paint within the lines this time! Hope the phone don't ring..... I'm an easy mark.

Love, Victurd