Dig A Ditch
An old
saying is something that is oft ignored and avoided by me, purely because I
prefer to try and think of something else.
It’s not always successful, of course, but usually so. But, isn’t that a strange sentiment to hold?
Consider. Everything humans do is a continuation of
some previous habit. Even those who go
against the grain (and admirably so, I might add—most of the time) do so in
order to dig their own ruts, or set their own patterns. And it’s quite proven that people always—ALWAYS—begin
to follow those people. When someone
begins to wear neckties with t-shirts, it goes unnoticed,
or noticed negatively*. Then someone begins
to do the same. Then
another. Then four more
people. Before much time has passed, the
local formal wear store has gone out of business, because everyone buys nothing
but ties and formal shirts (which get messed up, naturally). Ah, the perils of the punk** culture.
And
that’s all n good fun, too. It’s almost
expected for that kind of path-carving to happen on a regular basis. For some strange reason, though, it holds
true for the seamier, darker side of life, as well. It can be something as simple as stealing an
album from a store. Most people think
that is a “sucky” act to do, especially to a little
privately owned store. But it
continually happens.
It
ranges to the positively frightening acts in life. Murder is appalling. It’s violent, and wrong. But it happens. For some bizarre reason that is only apparent
to those who do it, rape is a repeated offense.
Disgusting.
And it happens. Mass killings are
inexplicable, and they still happen.
These
are the ditches we dig. Humans are
creatures of habit. That’s how we
operate. And obviously, the question
remains: what will you dig your ditch
with?
*Either way, the attention is almost unfailingly
negative.
**Read something else, for more on
this. Or, even better, do your own
research, and decide for yourself.