Did You Know?

Greetings good citizen, today's topic is fraught with conjecture very much along the lines of one individual's trash is another's treasure...like today's, er, announcement that the global economy is in absolutely thriving, couldn't be better [despite or perhaps because of global bank fraud...]

But I digress.

Let's rewind to the beginning of this topic and ask the question of what do YOU know and how did you come by that, er, 'Information'?

Probably splitting hairs here but the ONLY things you KNOW are the events you witness with your own eyes and ears...and we all know that's just the 'appearance' of an event. The victims of the Las Vegas attack only [gradually at that] became aware somebody was shooting at them for reasons unknown [and it's still a mystery, even the media hasn't speculated on a motive.] Which is to say witnessing something does little to inform us of what's going on and why.

Thus was the media born and its [sometimes] dogged pursuit of the 5 w's. Naturally the 'quality' of reporting often leaves much to be desired [again due to the tendency of the reporters to put their financial well-being ahead of the truth/the public's need to know.]

Why is it so difficult for the average person to accept you are lied to REGULARLY?

Again, I digress.

LIED is a strong word...the problem is how certain phrases 'color' how an event is interpreted. You have probably had knock down, drag out battles over what we writers lament as the 'imprecision of speech'.

I'm not telling anyone anything when it comes to the subject of 'splitting hairs'. Um, putting ourselves in the bearer of bad tidings position doesn't make it any more understand/forgivable.

The 'messenger' knows what they have to share won't be received well and you can only skirt the truth just so much.

WITH THAT IN MIND, Now what do you KNOW?

The wife is home for the holiday [I usually write these missives in blissful silence but she needs 'background noise' to listen to so the news in on.]

Have you noticed the 'news' is SO uninteresting that it literally slides off of you? What kind of a line on your resume is it that you can babble ceaselessly and communicate absolutely nothing?

NOW 'what do you KNOW?'

Don't get me wrong...you KNOW intimately the conditions under which you live your life and you know/are aware that most of what you 'hear' is a self-serving lie, often curious but of little real meaning to your humble life.

You know quite a bit. [Often despite the best efforts of the 'info-tainment industry' to muddy the waters more than they already are!]

The 'wonder' of it all is that we aren't ALL candidates for the looney bin. [Don't even want to go digging around that rabbit hole because like so many things, sanity is 'relative'.]

You KNOW what you like and you know what you BELIEVE [true or not so much...the truth is also 'relative', often qualified with an 'ish'.

You also know what 'sounds right' and you have the uncanny ability to 'sense' truthfulness...often overridden by your feelings for the teller. {Odd to have a 'gift' for telling truth from lies but if you 'like' the teller you will tend to believe them anyway so as not to offend them.}

Weirdly, this in the face of the teller's indifference towards your acceptance of them. [If they cared they wouldn't lie.]

Didn't think this was going there, did ya?

Yup, it's 'find a mirror' time!

If you WANT to put a stop to all the BS you need to start trusting your instincts!

Sounds too good to be true?

Check it out for yourself...you'll be AMAZED!

[Perfect 'grandpa strategy'...give the kids a new toy then turn 'em loose with it to wreak mayhem!]

Thanks for letting me visit your playground,

Gegner

[a.k.a. 'bad grandpa']