Alt OP #42 . . . I hope

But first! An apology for taking so long to post more. I've been in the process of switching out computers and darned if the 'new' one, being newer, has decided it can't read the word program the other alternative opinions were written in. Sigh. Happily I am backlogged on deleting things from my email inbox and those contain the prose you see below and in about three or more future posts. All I had to do is figure out how to do it on this new interface, program, whatever you call it. But I did figure it out so here ya go. Hopefully I haven't missed any.


Enjoy. 

“But first . . .,” How often have you said or heard that? I seem to say it a lot. I hear it a lot to. Usually it works like this: “I need to hang this picture, but first I need to move that book shelf so the step ladder will set closer to the wall for me to reach where I want the nail, but first I have to find the hammer to hammer the
nail.” It can go on and on down to finding a place to stack the books so you can move the book case and end with having to dust the books before you put them back in the book case after you've finely hung that cotton picking picture!

I and a friend call this the “but first! Disease.” It’s when you find yourself standing there knowing what you want to do and going over all the things that are in the way of you just hauling off and DOING whatever it is. It has been the end of many of my pet projects. Usually, it’s because: “but first I need to get the money!” Of course that can sometimes be gotten around, the money issue anyway. The real problem is that when you try to do some things without money the but firsts pile up so high it’s just too much! You either loose track of what the heck it was you planned to do in the first place or, worse, you discover that trying to do it without an up front cash lay out is going to cost you more than that cash lay out!

Don’t get me wrong this “but first” thing can be useful when you are trying to either get out of doing some thing you really don’t want to or to point out that you really need more time (or pay!) for doing a job. “Sure I can paint your house for only a couple hundred, but first you’d have to buy the paint and brushes, supply the scaffolding, the wire brush and scrappers for cleaning off the old paint . . .” See what I mean. Trouble is we sometimes take this but first thing to extremes and let it keep us from doing things that really need doing.

Take Congress, they seem to think they really can control every single aspect of American life so as to make us all safe, secure, happy, and healthy. They and we, seem to have forgotten that while life and liberty are guaranteed by the Constitution, the only guarantee we have for happiness is the pursuit of it. If we can’t
catch the sucker, tough. They (the ones who want to control Congress, the Government, Etc.) are going to give us all kinds of goodies to make our life one of leisure, jobs that pay us loads of money, health care out the wazoo, AND lower taxes! But first! But first they have to get total control of the whole government so no one can tell them they can’t do these wonderful things for us! Uh-huh.

Yep.

Guess what. That would mean even we the people couldn't tell them they couldn't do whatever came into their little pea brains to think we the people really needed . . . Whether we wanted it or not!

Yeah, I know. I used that dreadful, anonymous “They” in the preceding paragraphs. Just who the heck am I accusing of this heinous plot anyway? Oh, just the Democrats, the Republicans, the Tea Party, the Right to
Lifers, the Right to Choosers, the Liberals, the Conservatives, and all those other folks that think they have to be the ones in charge of telling us what to do and not do.

No, I do most certainly NOT suggest we should try to live without any laws at all. I’m way to old to survive the kind of civilization anarchy would bring about. I just think all we really need are general directions like: “Don’t kill or beat up folks cause you don’t like them or just cause you can, live by the Golden Rule, take care of your self, and act civilized even if you aren't.”