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The Last Word
The problem of no problems
By Rob Dailey
Strangely, I have been accused,
more than once, of being cynical. This, of course, is far from true.
I love the world just the way it is, with its faults.
Think of how boring the world would be if it didn’t
have faults! Sure there would be nothing to complain about, nothing
to fear, but there’d be nothing to do either. In solving these
problems we find our greatest experience.
We love to dream of a perfect world because of the
difficult thinking it takes to imagine it. We have to try to understand
the problems that stand in our way. And there are so many of them
that the challenge is practically endless.
In fact, if we didn’t have all these problems,
if we did live in a utopia, we’d surely create some difficulty,
just to keep it interesting.
Easy’s no fun. For example, I was in the computer
lab the other day, just writing a paper, minding my own business,
when a girl sat down and started working on the computer next to
me. Working away, she suddenly sneezed. Courteously, she covered
her mouth. I didn’t look at her directly, but in my peripheral
vision I saw her begin to wipe her evidently very gooey hand on
her pant leg. It was one of those elaborate, between the fingers
wipes, too. Apparently, it had been a very productive sneeze.
This was quite gross because I knew that she would
never wipe all the sputum from her hand, yet she went right back
to work on the public computer. It occurred to me that this probably
happens all the time, that the computer that I was typing on right
then, even the one I’m typing on right now, had probably been
sneezed upon, and recently.
Of course, in an initial sense, I would rather that
this were not the case. But don’t call me cynical for pointing
it out. I’m glad it happened! Why? Because it gave me something
to think about for five minutes, something amusing to consider each
time I walk into the computer lab.
See? This little problem
is fun! Not only that, it’s a funny story (at least to me).
The problem arises when you take these things too seriously,
when you let them distract you from getting on with it.
I know this whole sneezing-on-the-computer thing really
bothers some people. In this obsessively hygienic phase of American
civilization, I wouldn’t be surprised if some people never
go into the computer lab again after reading this.
But these, these are the cynical people. These are
the people who take life too seriously.
Despite what the reports suggest, touching something
that someone else has touched without first squirting it with antibacterial
super-gel will not kill you. At least, the chances are much slimmer
than you think.
I, for one, did not immediately reach for some Clorox
Wipes that I might keep in my bag, nor did I run to go wash my hands.
I laughed. It was funny, as is just about everything. So let’s
all lighten up and have a good time.
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