Hey, it’s September! You know what that means…

2020 is 8/12ths (that’s .664 for you decimal lovers) BEHIND US.
(And all the people said “WOO! HOO!”)

It also means it’s the perfect time to launch a journalistic experiment fit for a Misfit.

Cause, you know, September is like its own mini New Year; a kinder, gentler, warmer version of January – without all those pesky resolutions. Not to mention, pumpkin spice all the live long day. What’s not to love about that?

Plus, I don’t know about you, but it feels like it’s high time to get back into a normal rythm.
Ha, ha. I just read that back to myself. Normal. What a funny word!

Aaaanyway, here’s what I’m thinking.

In these here troubled times, the last thing we need are tips and tricks to navigate through these here troubled times. So I won’t offer those. Instead, I’ve got some random thoughts and questions, both deep and stupid, that I’ve been wrestling though, which everyone knows is way better than mere tips and tricks. And I’d like to share them with you. But rather of spewing them all at once, thereby overwhelming you with said deepness/stupidity, I shall instead meter them out. One thought at a time. Every day. For the whole month; cause you know, 30 days has September… Thus, a Misfit Challenge is born.

Do I even have 30 random thoughts in me? Can I do this? Will I get bored/distracted/rueful of the day I was born by Day 3? Will you? I guess we shall see.

So without any further adieu, I give you:

DAY ONE: Why ask why?

You got your beliefs. I got mine. Yep. Yepper. Uh huh. Ooohyeah.
If anything has become abundantly clear in this, the year of our Lord 2020, it is that. Oh yes, indeedy.

Have you noticed? All those trenches? All that heel digging? Deeper and deeper… “Your truth”? Ha! “My truth” can beat yours up with both hands tied behind its back, nana nana naaaaana! We are nothing if not faithful Ideology Team Players. Oh, how passionate we are about the things to which we adhere!

But have you ever stopped to ask yourself why? That is, why do you believe what you believe? Do you even know? Could you articulate it if you were asked? And by articulate, I don’t mean reciting the talking points of your favorite talking head. I mean, could you explain your beliefs in your own words if someone asked you? In a coherent manner? At normal decibels? (“and if you don’t believe it, we’ll shout a little louder!”) Cause here’s the thing: I think a lot of us are absolutely committed to our professed belief system, that is, what we say we believe… but I’m not entirely convinced that we’ve really thought all our beliefs through to their logical end.

Where will they take us?

How committed are we to that destination?

And why does it matter?

“Why” is such an annoying question, because it only leads to other annoying questions. And thought. Oh yeah, that. Blech. Who can really blame us for avoiding all of it? Thought takes a lot of work. Not to mention research. And intellectual honesty? To be confronted with ideas that counter the narrative that fits us so snugly, like a nice, cozy fall sweater? Fuggetaboutit!

credit for both: duchesscloverly.tumblr.com

A pesky question indeed. That’s why nobody really likes 3 year olds; think about it, it’s all those why’s, I’m telling you.

Who has time to ask why, anyway? We’ve got places to be, people to judge, agendas to push. We’re simply swamped.

So that’s it, really. No answers today. Just a question for you to ponder/noodle/roll around in your noggin. Oh, and, if you dare, leave a thought or question (or two) in the comments.

Why not?