A Student of Life

One of my favorite idea in life is the concept of consequence.

It's the reason you get up at the same time everyday and trudge to work. It's the reason you take your kids to band concerts and football practice. It's the reason that you don't rob a bank. Or the reason that you've thought of, but haven't gotten a tattoo.

It's also the reason that movies and now games have found a mass, endearing appeal. The idea that what is done is done, and what may come, will come is terrifying to many people. The idea that one can live on, without consequence, vicariously thru an electronic avatar certainly appeals to me, and must appeal to millions of other people who have always wanted to be the wheelman in a quick heist, or cause a mass media hysteria by waging war on a police force or government agency (a la Grand Theft Auto).

And regardless of the amount of damage you do, or whatever mutilation to your avatar may occur, you can always press reset, or save and load, or simply turn off whatever implement of entertainment you've chosen to release your consciousness to. Although, simply playing games and ignoring the other aspects of your life lead to another set of consequences altogether. I'm of course speaking of a couple of World of Warcraft addicts that everyone knows at least one of.

If you're like my wife, however, a small expected explosion still creates a massive heart palpitation, much less unexpected gun fire... screaming... or even screeching tires have sent her to a near death shock state. This interests me because I am a polar opposite. Unexpected gunfire and explosions are something I expect out of my chosen medias. This becomes even more interesting to me because of our life experiences, and the sequence of events that, regardless of definition, have resulted in our marriage.

There are people who believe that all events fall in to some serendipitous category and that "God has a plan" and all that. But I've never found myself comfortable with that notion. The idea that God has a plan for you, seems a bit selfish. The idea that God has a plan for all 6.5+ billion people on this planet seems ridiculous to me. It's easy to say God has a plan when you've been as fortunate as most of us have. People die, we fall on hard times, addictions, a lack of love in one's life. It's interesting what people act out on. It's depressing that these days people are murdered for so little.

I don't make a lot of money, but I'm willing to balance a set of consequences in order to obtain more by contracting myself to a longer term commitment. Or even to manipulate the circumstances so that I can afford more with the minuscule amount that I make. But I'm certainly fortunate enough that I don't have to depend on welfare, or disability. Or that every third person I know doesn't have AIDs. Or that we don't have to burn clothes for heat.

I guess... what I'm trying to say is, why can't I ever remember to eat leftovers?