We might be going about our days, thinking all is fine and good. But maybe we are running amuck.
After all, we don’t know what we don’t know. Where you are — has a lot to do — with what you can, and can’t do.
Let’s say we are in the state of Arizona, for instance. We better be sure we don’t hunt any camels there. It is strictly prohibited. While this might seem like a bunch of hooey, it is not. Of course, those camels aren’t exactly native to Arizona. But they live there. This came about in the Pre-Civil War era. The U.S. Army experimented with camels in the Arizona desert. I don’t know in what capacity, but they did. Eventually, they gave up the project. The rest of those camels were set free. And to this day, they are still protected. Probably not the camels of the 1850s. But their descendents.
Closer to home, for me at least, is our neighbor Indiana. And truly, this does not affect me, as I truly don’t like to fish. But, if we try to catch a fish in Indiana, it best to do it with a reel and rod. The law in the Hoosier State, clearly states that shooting fish is illegal. It is also against the law to catch them with our bare hands. Go fish.
Every place on earth has its own rules and regulations. Some seem completely absurd and outdated. Others are quite necessary for a civilized way of life. Most laws and rules have been put in place because someone erred profoundly at one time or another.
They are all over the place, thanks to the people like the “hot coffee lady” from McDonalds. Contents may be hot. As if we didn’t know. And then, there are those curious tags on mattresses. Tags that say “do not remove” or you will be executed by firing squad.
The last one I will mention really caught my attention. It comes from Michigan. Public urination. In Michigan, it is prohibited. It carries a serious penalty too. Offenders can be forced to pay a fine of up to $500, and face up to 90 days in jail. They also may be required to register as a sex offender.
I sort of thought it was illegal to pee in public anywhere. Not just in Michigan. But perhaps my days of searching for a public restroom are over. I mean, if it is legal to pee in any old place. Well.
Oh. The ways of this world. The ins and outs. The around the corners. We just never know, do we?
Thankfully, I finally figured out why Sir Lancelot moved to Arizona. So he could open up a Used Camel Lot.
Sorry. You see, there was a joke about fishing I was going to tell you instead. But. I forgot the line.
Okay. Please let me off the hook.
The big thing is this. If we keep our eyes open, we can learn something new every day. Maybe it is something we never knew before. Or it could be a beautiful moment, right before our eyes, that we finally noticed.
Whatever it is, life surprises us. Especially at those times when you see someone peeing in public.
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“Our brightest blazes of gladness are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks.”
― Samuel Johnson, The Idler; Poems
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“Even in the familiar there can be surprise and wonder.”
― Tierney Gearon
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“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.”
― Lao Tzu
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