07 June 2016

Rhetorical Curiosity


Well it's Tuesday, so Carole wants us to talk about:  Ten Things I'm Curious About. Right Now.

I guess I am a curious person, but no matter how hard I tried to come up with actual things I was curious about, I kept coming up with rhetorical things, or questions with no real answer.  They just wouldn't let go!  So here they are.

1. Why won't people share the sidewalk?  If four people are walking abreast towards you, why does it not occur to at least one of them to walk behind, so you can get past while also remaining on the sidewalk?

2. Why are there no unspoken thoughts anymore?  It seems like everyone has to share every single thing that passes through their heads.  I *think* a lot of things, and of course they are brilliant, insightful, and witty. ;-)  But seldom do I feel the need to express them to the world at large, particularly when no one asked.

3. When did it become a bad thing to be smart?  Granted, no one likes someone who goes around all day trying to make sure that everyone knows how smart they are.  But why is being smart something that is mocked, or that people hide so they can be popular?

4. Why is "vacation" such a bad thing in the U.S.?  Most people are lucky if they get two weeks in the whole year, and then for a lot of people, actually being able to take the time is a problem.  (Let's not talk about those who willfully don't take vacation.  They are eejits.)  Why do you have to be a muckety-muck or a forty-year employee to get more than two weeks?  (I could go on, but won't.  You get my drift.)

5. Why is it so important for people to give their kids a name that ends in "Jr."? (or worse, a number)  A friend of mine had a baby boy, and named him John Robert ___, Jr., but they decided to call him "Robert" to differentiate the son from the father.  I asked why they didn't just name him Robert John, thereby still keeping the "important" names, but letting the kid go through life not having to explain his name or whether or not he is "Big John" or "Little John."  You would think I'd tried to kill the kid.  I just don't get this.  Maybe because I come from a family of girls, or because we were not wealthy or part of royalty.  Anyway.

6. Why do the Kardashians and their ilk even exist? 'Nuff said.

7. Why can't most people *not* answer their cell phone if you are talking to them?  It makes me furious when I'm with someone and we're talking, and their phone rings, they answer, and then say, "Sorry I have to take this."  And then it's not an emergency, or the hospital telling them they found a heart for their transplant.  Nope, it's just someone calling to say hello.

8. Whatever happened to pedestrian-right-of-way?  I walk to work every day, as well as walk most places I need to go.  The way most people drive, you would think that a person crossing the street on a green light was as bad as being the Antichrist.

9. Why do people let their dogs walk on areas where there are signs posted asking them not to do that?  There is a park near me that has signs saying, "Please do not allow your dogs in the planting areas."  These signs are right there, in the planting area.  But I seem to be the only one who reads the sign and then keeps my dog out of there.  It's not hard, people.

10. Why are you considered a lesser type of being if you are a woman who does not have children?  Especially when no one cares if men have children or not.  Isn't it better not to have children if you don't want them, or if you are not really certain it would be the thing for you?

Anyway.  There you go.  So many more things could be on this list, as well as things I am curious about like "Who decided that C was where you start in music?  Why not A?"  (This is something I once asked The Tim when he was trying to explain a piano keyboard to me, and he responded. "We're done here." I however still think it's a legitimate question.)

Maybe I'd be better off as a cat.  They are curious, but also happy to sit in a box.

16 comments:

AsKatKnits said...

Omgosh, this is the best list ever! Especially #2 - YES! And, adding to that, how about the people talk about utter nonsense because they need to be saying something all the time.

Anonymous said...

Spot on!!!

Especially #10. Now I have a child. I love him a lot. However, parenting (done right) is a job you can never quit. I can totally understand not having children if you don't want them.

Easy peasy concept, right?

Before we had Stephen, the comment I hated most was ....."well, I'm sure you'll change your mind." We DID change our minds, but if we hadn't, our choice was still a legitimate choice.

Vera said...

Fabulous list Bridget! Every single one is spot on! And, the flip of your cell phone question is: why, when I am talking on the phone to my friend, does she find it impossible not to start talking to neighbors or people passing by? It's rude! And I usually end up hanging up on her. Especially love your last line about being a cat.

Susan said...

What I find amazing about the cell phone thing is the number of people who leave work meetings to take "important" calls on their cells. . . and those calls are not important at all. I know this because my office is next to a conference room and people seem to feel that they can step out of the conference room and have their phone conversation in the hall right outside my office door. It's amazing the mundane things they leave meetings for, and that they apparently think that my office neighbors and I need to hear.

Bonny said...

I am jumping up and down here in my enthusiastic agreement with numbers 1, 2, 6, and 7! Part of my walk is at a county park with a track where nobody wants to share so I end up walking in the grass and watching for dog p**p. And while walking I wonder why nobody has heard of Claude Shannon, but the Kardashians have big name recognition. I wish we had answers to your important questions!

Patty said...

All of it! It's all great! And really...the Kartrashians are glorified and intelligence is not! Ugh!

KSD said...

Everything down to the last answer was, as per usual, glorious, but The Tim's "We're done here" cracked. me. up.

And the visual of you sitting in a box is kinda funny, too. Sweet. But also a bit comical.

sprite said...

Re: #1: I like to stop and maybe stick an elbow out. I've also been known to snap my fingers at people walking and looking at their cell phones when it's obvious they're going to crash into me in ten feet.

Araignee said...

I hate cell phones. When I'm out and about I don't want to talk to anyone. I don't even have a smartphone. And don't get me started on texting.....

Kwizgiver said...

Wow--so many of your list resonate with me! The cell phone answering drives me nuts!

kathy b said...

I KNOW many women who are not MOthers. THey are hugely helpful to me as a mother. IT does take a village.

karen said...

your list is thought provoking! I agree with them. It drives me crazy when a group of people are walking and hogging the sidewalk. and since the dawn of social media it seems it is okay to voice everything and anything and manners are out the window!

Lorraine said...

Bridget- What is this Kardashian bull? And Kanye? He's just rude- and everyone thinks it's great?

And trust me, having had children, I sometimes get why people don't.

Marie said...

I agree with all of these, especially #5, because each person should have his/her own name (I had a cousin who was always referred to as "Paul Jr," like it was all one word; and I had the same first name as my mother and a lot of older people thought it was funny to add "Jr" to my name--it's why I go by "Marie" now); and #6: seriously, who are these people and why the hell should I "keep up with" them?

Chere Mama said...

Each one of these is so true. I am with you on all of them.

Delusional Knitter said...

I would have to agree with all of these! Its a pet peeve of mine when someone is in person and on their phone the whole time ... why bother?!?! I found a funny image online that said something about having lunch with a person always on their phone and it was one guy sitting facing the wall (ie the person on the phone) ... cracked me up!

I also cannot stomach the stupid on the internet all the time, first learn how to write, spell, etc. and second I don't care about "When you go to the blah and blah happens ..."