Recent events had indicated to me that I might need to reexamine my “filter” when conversing with normal people, acting in a public manner and commenting on current events. In short I think things are funny, which may have been funny 10 years ago, but now are “cause for concern” A juxtaposition of innocent and not so innocent in photo form could easily be misconstrued and get you child taken away from you.
I guess a little clarification would be in order. I found a very funny picture of a child with a gun online, obviously a joke. I even for a fun guffaw but a bottle nipple on a beer and drank it. BTW if you thought a straw affected alcohol consumption a nipple is where it is at! I was quickly reminded that taking pictures of this in any configuration with my son, or even the bottle would be and could be cause for danger to our continued possession of the child. So i kept the camera away and disassembled my joke. I thought it was funny, several guy friends thought it was funny. But i was quickly reminded that society at large would not think so.
The problem here lies in the fact that such repercussions don’t enter into my mind. I think hey this is funny other people would laugh. Humor is also my defense against things. We took the boy to a flea market after he took a nasty fall, he had a black eye. He fell into our coffee table, now removed. the looks we received made me feel horrible, so the first comments were to my wife. Wouldn’t it be funny if we said this… or did this… then anser was unilaterally no, that could get us in trouble.
The very fact that an obvious joke could have that type of reaction is scary.In short its not the idea of wearing a bike helmet that scares m. But the people who make laws who require the helmet. Eventually right down the slippery slope we are all going to end up coated in foam, and with filters placed over our mouths.
The world needs my humor, it really does. Everyone takes themselves too seriously, and we are far to sfety conscious. We are going to grow a crop of kids, who get every disease that comes down the pike and can’t take any sort of discomfort. Say no to the anti-bac, rubber room mentality. Let your kids play, scraped knees suck, but they teach at the same time.
Watch as I now perfect the dismount from my high horse.
Boom… I just stuck the landing. Pomposity is now finished.