Still trying to shrug off a lot of stress, which has been challenging for me largely because it’s from diverse sources that seem to converge on the message “You aren’t competent enough to handle this”. We went into town a bit ago, and on the way back, I decided to take the longcut, as the snolfs call it: a very scenic drive that appears to be little-driven because the road is narrow, uneven, and twisting as it roller-coasters up the hills and down the valleys. It’s a fine spring day, and I wanted to see how the area fared over the winter. However, I forgot one small detail: the road isn’t maintained during the winter, because it’s not an important thoroughfare, and because snow makes the road downright treacherous.
Sure enough, the ominous stripes of a “Road Closed” sign greeted us from a distance—far enough for me to turn on a side road and take another route back to the main road.
With no hesitation, I went around the sign (no doubt strategically placed right in front of some farmer’s house), to the sounds of the snolfs howling, “But the road is closed, Sunni!” I simply replied, “I just want to see how far we can get.”
And what do you know, there were no impediments. Sure, the road had some small debris on it, and it looked as if a sizable branch had at one time blocked it, but it was completely passable. I enjoyed the vistas, but I especially enjoyed knowing I was on the road in defiance of the local nanny-ninnies’ wishes.
It certainly didn’t accomplish any sort of blow against the state, but that small act of rebellion definitely did wonders for my state of mind. I heartily recommend similar actions to be indulged in by free individuals worldwide, as a reminder that we are, in fact, free. How far can we get if we don’t obey the “closed” signs put up in our way?
Because Sometimes One Just Has to Rebel
Ahhh...Sweet Rebellion!
I regularly hike on a "closed" trail that leads to the best view of Mount Rainier that you could ever imagine. The fact that it's forbidden makes the view doubly enjoyable..
Heh.
I figured I wasn’t saying anything new ... all the same, sometimes a reminder is helpful.
Mala prohibita
The personal experience that jumped into mind when I read this involves my former life as a slave in California.
For reasons nobody was ever able to explain, the Kangaroo rat was declared an "endangered species" and terrible fines were to be imposed for killing them or even "disturbing" their habitation.
The California desert where I lived was simply lousy with the little monsters. Their habitation was anywhere and everywhere. They were also too stupid to avoid bait or traps set out for other rodents (those not YET "protected," of course) and the people of the desert were simply not inclined to allow ALL rodents to take over the place because of it.
So, needless to say, very few people worried much about it. I never heard of anyone being charged with anything to do with the stupid things.
My big black cat also didn't worry about it - not one bit. He had always been partial to them, since they're so stupid they're easily caught, and he had been eating three or four of them a day for a very long time. He was careful to leave the tails and other tidbits on the back porch for my amusement - and presumably, to brag. ...or share? Who knows?
Have you ever tried to explain the endangered species act to a cat? Neither have I.
And so it goes even in wild and woolly Wyoming. I just had a conversation with someone in town who raises cattle nearby. We were talking about the wolf and all of the legislative wrangling about the "delisting" and various "plans" for the critters.
When asked if he'd had any problems with wolves on his place, he just winked and said three letters... S S S And that was it.
Works for me. ML
No human being has the right -- under any circumstances -- to initiate force against another human being, nor to threaten or delegate its initiation. The Zero Aggression Principle