Have you ever sat around the house and looked at your crap and wondered if other people had the same crap? Or the same way of organizing said crap? I mean, everyone has to have some sort of system for putting their stuff away. Some people just toss it around, but even the most lazy among us still has to have some sort of system.
So I'm looking at my small (but mighty!) DVD collection... I've always felt it only makes sense to sort your movies alphabetically. But I learned a short while back that some people sort their movies by genre! This was sort of an epiphany for me, as I'd gone round in my life assuming that everyone had their movie system setup the only logical way; my way! I couldn't quite fathom how you actually found your movies if they were sorted by genre. I mean, some movies are funny and dramas...the new (to me) term "dramedy" doesn't get it's own genre section does it?? I guess if you have a LOT of dramedies it would, huh?
But see, by sorting your movies alphabetically, you get hilarious combinations like having:
Shrek next to
 |
| (Shrek 2, technically) |
The Silence of the Lambs next to
 |
| "I do like green ogres and ham." |
The Sound Of Music next to
 |
| "Oh My, BEWBS!!!!" |
Swordfish next to
 |
| Yep. |
Terms of Endearment!
 |
| ...you get the idea. |
Having those dvd cases just rubbing shoulders with each other is somehow naughty in my mind. Like I'm corrupting the innocence of the PG-rated movies... *evil chuckle* muah hahahahaha!
*ahem*
I guess it's the same with all things. We tend to assume that parts of our lives are shared by most people. Unless you know there is something (like being gay) that is definitely a part of the minority (like being Atheist), then you just figure it's a common thing for other people too.
I'm sure there's some psychological term for this.
...Now I don't want to get this confused with the whole Baader Meinhof thing... That, explained simply, is when you get a new white honda something-or-other and suddenly it seems like everyone has a white honda something-or-other. [Which in this case is totally true, because I have a white honda something-or-other and so does the rest of the world! It's the world's most generic car!]
But, in general, it's not true. The whole point of the Baader Meinhof "phenomenon" is that it just seems like it because your mind is suddenly more aware of that new thing in your life and notices it more in the world around you. Got it? Good.
SIDE NOTE!!!!
Phenomenon! (not to be confused with...)
Mahna mahna... (distinct difference)
Here's another example... Say you start taking a pilates class. Hey, the new year is upon us, it's about time you got your ass in shape, right? Right. So you're in this pilates class, surrounded by other people taking the same pilates class. Suddenly you know a lot of people who are doing the same crazy (but totally good for you) balancing act they call exercise! You've entered a subculture you weren't even aware of and it seems very reasonable (suddenly) to think that there are a lot more people doing this than you previously thought. But you weren't actually sitting around wondering about people taking pilates classes until you joined and suddenly (SUDDENLY!) it matters to you.
Got me?
<SUDDENLY!!!!!!> ...I hate when I get stuck using a word multiple times and yet can't get away from said word, even though I know it's happening.
Words that are synonymous with suddenly? ...abruptly...eh, no... Nothing else works in place of "suddenly" I'm sorry.
Of course, now I've reached the point where the word no longer looks like it's spelled right, or even a word for that matter. What is this "suddenly" thing? Is it used to describe soggy dishsoap-soaked sloths? (suds, soggy, sedentary... Oh, and the sloths are probably sullen, too!)
Don't mind me.
Last note.
In regards to the pilates example, I've seen this concept pop up many times in my life, so far. Micro-subcultures that you KNOW NOTHING ABOUT! You don't even know they exist! But for the people within those groups, it can be their world.
People who do puppetry, people who are fluffers in porn movies, people who do stage makeup in China, people who are bike messengers, taxi drivers, BDSM people, newspaper delivery people, magazine scam sales slaves, beauty pageant mothers, dolphin trainers, book binders, political lobbyists, polo players, butlers, meat-processing-plant people, casino money counters, car parts factory workers, tattoo artists, city utility workers (sewers, ewwy!)...
Think about how little you would ever think of the lives of these people. If you do think of them because you see them at work, think of how little you know about their daily lives. Their entire world revolves around these things you know nothing about! They know minute details about sh-tuff you couldn't be bothered to care about.
If you don't realize the amount of stuff in the world that you don't know, you're probably a lot happier than I am. Even the "lowly" janitor knows more about some things than you do. And yet, you know things that are in your everyday life that 99% of other people don't. In your daily life.
Isn't that awesome?
From Donna, via FB:
ReplyDelete"I am a school teacher. Most people are familiar with my job, since most have attended elementary school. My hobby Of breeding and showing purebred rabbits usually requires some sort of explanation to people. There are thousands like me, but we are few and far between.
Being atheist in this group is even more rare, although I do know of about 5 others. There are many gay rabbit breeders and judges, but I can think of only one lesbian couple in rabbits. There are probably more, I just don't know it.
'Suddenly,' you've got me thinking about all the groups I belong to. I'm a mom, freestar minivan driver, animal owning, social network enjoying, book reading, wife, atheist, gay rights supporting 47 year old female. :-)"
Thanks Donna! ^_^