Swimming Lessons

We just got back from the weekly swim lessons. For our son, it feels like we are on a life-long learning plan to become comfortable with the water. So I will be signing up the kid for more lessons starting next week.

Public pools are a good place to observe the different personalities of people. Some are quiet and sensible and look out for others. Other people are clueless and impersonal. I noticed when the teacher was trying to work with a group of kids. Some people stay away from that side of the pool so they are not interrupting the lessons. Others just dive right in next to where the teacher is and she has to adjust how she is working with the students.

At the Westminster pool, they don’t do a very good job of keeping the lessons cordoned off from the other swimmers. People come in for other events and just barge right into the middle of where lessons are being given. Here are a group of little kids struggling to stay afloat and then comes the herd of older women who think they should be able to stand in the middle of the pool and gab at one another.

The reason we have rules and laws in society is to protect us from one another. They are there as a safeguard against those who don’t have the common sense or courtesy to live peacefully and in accordance with others. Wanna spit on the sidewalk? Wow. Thanks for spreading your disease to the rest of us. Want to walk your dog and not pick up it’s poop? Wow. Thanks for helping to spread more disease into the watershed thereby killing more fish and providing the potential for more pathogens in our environment.

This brings me to my next argument. If you want less government and more interference in your lives, then start acting more like a responsible citizen. Part of the reason why we have so many laws on the books is we have to them to curb greed and stupidity of people for specific situations. This is also the reason why libertarianism is such a fantasy. You want less laws? Really? How about we remove the one that requires the police to pull over drunk drivers. Okay big talker. Now get out there and take your chances on a Saturday night at closing time and let’s see how your dime store philosophy protects you (it won’t).

Another thing I find so funny is how people want to rant and rave about the government. Oh. Gosh. The government is so horrible. It did this to so and so and that shows how it is out to get us. My answer to that is, when is the last time you did something about government besides talk and bitch? The last time I checked we were in a participatory government. Have you ever been to an open meeting for your local government? When I go there is just a smattering of people. Did you know that there is an open segment of these meetings where citizens can sign up to talk?

We live in a consumerist version of a democracy/republic. For some reason we want our politics delivered to us like a pizza and we don’t feel the need to give back what we take out. We’ll spend two hours a night screwing around with FaceBook but heaven forbid that we are asked to take part in the real society around us.

Worried about the state of education in America? Go to a school board meeting or show up at the special events at school. Think that your local taxes are too high? How about going to your city board meetings and listening in on what it costs to run a town. Get involved because what you are doing now is bullshit.