Who Are You Kidding?

People really make me wonder with their schemes. The way they believe they can put one over on others or avoid an unpleasant outcome with feeble little ruses is rather amusing. I'm sure I'm in that number as well, but there are some things I don't see as viable. I once served as a middleman in between a devoutly religious friend and various retail outlets which he was forbidden to exchange money with on the Sabbath. I was unconvinced that the Almighty would be fooled, but was content to help anyway.

In another, more pervasive case, we superstitious humans place a great deal of importance on avoiding the number thirteen (I guess we really never will get too far from the bewildered, overmatched caveman who possessed not even the intellect to overcome his physical deficiencies). We avoid it however we can, even when the only way is to not avoid it but agree that we have. It remains common practice to omit the thirteenth floor from official recognition, regardless of how tall the building really is. If it's less tall than that, it's easy. If it's much taller, it's still pretty easy. When it's exactly that tall, it's a rather transparent ploy. A building I regularly have reason to enter refers to its uppermost floor as the penthouse rather than the thirteenth floor.

It's like a comb-over, except that is something only a few do and the rest try to correct by means of overwhelming ridicule. If only there were some way of applying that to the other things. We could perhaps ridicule them out of existence if only there were a consensus. I don't know if there's a difference of opinion among people at large on that particular matter of numbering floors in skyscrapers, but clearly the salient group of skyscraper owners is entirely on the side of playing make-believe. Is that how you amass wealth? I have none and neither do my friends, and the whole lot of us are extremely sensible in spite of the fact that we play make-believe for a living.

I suppose I should not expend too much energy and attention on this. I influence what is within my sphere, and that does not include major real estate or the religious practices and hair stylings of others. I have always preached tolerance and forgiveness, and so I must at least occasionally practice it as well. People who think you can get around things you don't like by splitting hairs and changing names, I forgive you and will leave you be.