EPIDRO

We all know that the world we live in is more open today than ever before. No longer is it taboo for just about anything. To tell you the truth, I am just not suprised by much. In a way that is good. But in some ways it is not so good, because there is an element called self-control or descretion that is probably not exercised the best way. And seeing a woman revealing her underwear in a Target store is exactly the kind of indescretion I am speaking of.

Yes, I did just say that a woman was revealing her underwear in public. For some reason, I do not think that is a good example of what it means to be "transparent." I just happend to be in the store and noticed that the dress this woman was wearing really qualified as a t-shirt because it wasn't close to covering her undergarments.

What's the point? Listen, I know we have moved into a very open and more direct society. And as a young guy myself, I love it. But there is a way to be open and transparent. Shopping in your underwear is slightly different than what I had in mind. Being comfortable in your undewear doesn't mean it is good for everyone to see.  

One of the things that I am trying to remain discipline in doing is controlling the amount of food I consume at one time. This can be difficult for someone like me because eating is one of my favorite past times. (As a matter of fact, I am thinking about what I want to eat right now.) I realized a while ago, that I need to stop eating when I feel myself getting full. When I reach the point where I am "stuffed", it's too late.

How many times have you consumed more than you should and you knew that you probably should have stopped sooner? If you were raised like I was, you were taught to consume everything in front of you before you left the table. Unfortunately, this is the same message that popular culture is promoting as well. Consume all that you see in front of you. But when is it appropriate to stop?

What's the point? Consuming too much is never a good thing. If hogs around the world understood that they would not constantly consume the food given to them 24/7 to make them fat and there would definitely be a bacon shortage. The bottom line is, greed is what we are being conditioned to believe is ok. As a result, people are losing jobs, homes, and their entire lives because they thought it was ok to consume everything in front of them.

Elevators are such a wonderful addition to our lives. (Although, many of us should take the stairs more often.) Can you imagine having to walk up or down several flights of steps all of the time, in every building you entered? We do get a glimpse of what that would be like from time to time when elevators are not working in a particular place. It is at that moment that we realize how much we depend on this convenient transport. The push of one button can take us up or down. Unfortunately, so many of us are so eager to get a ride, we often hop on and head in the wrong direction.

What's the point? It's simple; make sure you are going in the right direction. How many times have you pushed the up/down button and walked onto the elevator as soon as the door opened, only to realize it was not going in the direction you needed to go? This is the same thing that happens in our everyday life. We indicate we would like to move in a particular direction, a door opens, we walk through it, the door closes, and we realize this is not the right way. Who knows how far or how many stops have to be made before you can go the right way. Who has time to ride in the wrong direction?

Ok, Im still on the driving analogies....

Traffic, traffic, traffic. I do not know who enjoys sitting in a car inching along not knowing when the madness will end. (If you are one of those people who doesn't mind it, either you have a rare kind of patience or you need to make an appointment for a CAT scan.) As I was saying, traffic is usually an unwelcomed site and most of us avoid it if we can. But  is that always the best thing to do? Maybe, maybe not.

Monday I was driving on the Capital Beltway (notorious for traffic at any given moment) and I noticed terrible traffic in the opposite direction, I thought to myself, "I can't go home that way." But as I began to think about alternative routes, none of them made any sense and they were so out of the way. The way I came was the best route. I reluctantly returned to the beltway to go back home. Much to my suprise, the traffc I anticipated was gone and I made it home with no problems. What if I had gone another way?

What's the point? Always take the best route regardless of the cuircumstances. Sometimes there is traffic or delays. And sometimes you get fortunate and it is smooth sailing. But often we go so far out of the way to avoid being delayed and it may not be necessary. Plus it often takes us the same amount of time or longer to get where we are going. I know our travels can be frustrating at times. But try to be more patient and take the best route. Eventually you will get where you need to be. 

It has been a very long time since I took a drving test at the DMV. So, I am not sure if they teach you proper horn usage while driving. It seems like driving etiquette is a course that many of us probably need. (I know I have a tendency to be a little aggressive on the road. I blame it on living in the Northeast.) But people are getting a little out of control with their horns.

About three or four days ago, I put my signal on to change lanes (that's like minus 15 on the driving test if you don't). As I checked the lane next to me, I could see a car at least three car lengths behind me in that lane. It was a woman in a sedan and she was driving a little faster than I was. But there was plenty of room for me to get over without cutting her off. Besides, I had put on my signal. Once I got over, she blarred her horn, as if I had cut her off. Was it really that serious? did she have exclusive rights to that lane?

What's the point? You know I wanted to ask this woman the same thing. She never went around me and I eventually ended up moving well ahead of her several miles down the road before exiting the expressway. Sometimes we just honk our horns when it is not necessary or even serious. Just slow down and share the lane sometime, especially if there is three car lengths of space.