Just Chutes And Ladders

It occurs to me that sometimes life just happens. And in a comical sort of way we're all just trying to not be bored all the time. So we find things to worry about. We invent woes for ourselves and make poor decisions just out of that boredom. I was watching Changing Lanes (which I don't hate) and found myself sort of laughing at how many times Sam Jackson and Ben Affleck could have fixed all of their problems... but instead they escalate the negativity because they can't stand to just let it go. I don't mean to make more of a popcorn movie than I should, but there is a pretty solid metaphor on the surface of that flick. At one point Ben says "God puts two people in a bag and shakes it up." Like it's all a game. That's just how he thinks. That's how a lot of us think. Everything's a bit of a game. We play along until it hurts. And then we run home crying saying "it wasn't fair" "they were cheating". But when we don't establish rules for everyone to follow, or when someone finds a way to break those rules without having to take responsibility for their actions, things tend to fall apart.

I like games. I like sitting with some close friends and shooting people on a plasma screen in the comfort of my home, where there are no consequences. If I get into a one on one duel with my roommate and he shoots me in the head with a shotgun I don't come back at him with real life aggression, because it's just a game. I disconnect. I don't feel true pain or hate. But in the real world, in far less extreme situations, people tend to find reasons to hate and spite and be angry. And it gets to me, because I can't stand to watch little bits of nothing turn into extremized hate spats. Sometimes (usually) it's okay to just smile and let things go. It can be easy to get along, if we let it.

I think it's better to talk it out and allow both sides to reflect and understand, than to let things marinate poorly in our minds until they don't resemble the actual facts of a situation. I like getting along.

Life's just Chutes And Ladders:

1. Back In The Day - The Good, The Bad & The Queen
2. I Surrender Dear - Louis Armstrong
3. Faust - Gorillaz
4. Innocence Again - Switchfoot
5. Song For The Fields - Fields
6. One More Cup Of Coffee - Bob Dylan
7. All The Little Pieces - Louis XIV
8. Neukoln - David Bowie
9. Darkness - Third Eye Blind
10. Indra - Thievery Corporation
11. Song For A Friend - Jason Mraz
12. Fake The Aroma - Massive Attack
13. Firefly - Tortoise
14. Volcano - Beck