#109 Psycho-somatic

Mind over matter. That’s what they say. The power of the mind to cloud even your perception. There’s an old chestnut to the effect that we don’t form beliefs based on facts, we find facts to support our beliefs. So if you believe the current war is “taking it to the enemy” you’ll always believe that and if you believe the current war is “making us more enemies” you’ll always believe that as well. No amount of wimpy little facts will ever dissuade you from the power of your belief.
Anyone who doesn’t believe in the power of the mind or the power of the imagination? Now be honest, I’m going to say the word headlice. How long does it take you to scratch your head? Ever been in the same room with someone who yawned? How long did it take you to yawn? Do you feel like yawning right now? That’s okay, I have that effect on a lot of people.
Belief is a powerful thing. Carl Rove knows that. Carl’s basic campaign strategy is to refer to his candidate in post-victorious terms, conveying the belief that he has already won. By capturing the momentum, or even the appearance of momentum, he knows that lots of people will want to jump on the bandwagon. And make it their bandwagon. The power of belief. Mind over matter regardless of consequences. What’s the price of preventing gay marriage in America? At last count, it was about 50 cents a gallon.
Gay marriage ain’t that big of a deal. As one wag put it, if you’re against the notion of gay sex you ought to be in favor of gay marriage. Everyone knows the best way to stop sex in a relationship is to get married.
The macho mystique tends in the same direction. Suffering is okay if you have a goal. Steroids help. Quick results make the sacrifice seem worth it. Can anyone say Atkins diet? But the motivation is the belief. I saw at sign at the health club the other day, it said: “If you’re here at 7 am with a hangover you’re a Mitchum Man.” Message: Drink yourself sick then come in and work it all off. Burn the candle at both ends. Get big muscles and a short temper. Cut someone off on the freeway and send em into oncoming traffic. You only live once, right?
Sometimes it takes a different perspective to open your eyes. For years, I’ve made a career of seeing road signs in different ways than other people. But I’m as blind as anyone else. My visiting relatives were the first to point out that “Boulevard Road” was a might redundant. Why didn’t they call it “Street Avenue” or “Cul-de-sac Lane?” The other day I drove by a place I’ve driven by a thousand times before and I finally noticed that the name Rusty’s Autobody may conjure up the wrong image. And at Lakefair recently they had a karaoke contest. They didn’t have the song one kid wanted so he asked if he could do acappella karaoke. Excuse me. There’s no such thing. While acappella is singing without music, karaoke is music to which you add singing. Like my friend Bobby said. You might as well ask for well-done sushi. I believe he’s right...
America, ya gotta love it.