40 quips in 40 days: day 36

Sometimes you need more than a catchy line - more than just a fist full of fine words - to get the thing across. So, today's Chuckism is a little different from the norm...

Chuckism #36
One day Mrs. Jones came into find her son, Junior, beating his head against the wall repeatedly to no end. Despite her best efforts she could not make him stop. Growing frantic she called the local psychologist to come help. Upon entering Junior's room, the shrink observed the situation and frantically asked; "Junior! V'hy are uz doin'k this unt yourselv?!" (German accent;go with it.)

Upon hearing the shrink, Junior stopped, pulled his now bloody head away from the wall, and looking at the shrink through hazy, cross eyed, near unconsciousness answered; "because it feels so good when I stop, doc."

I first heard this ditty many,many years ago, as a teenager, as my dad was working toward his certification as a mental health professional; part of his rehabilitational training following complications from long time repetitive injuries from years in construction that nearly took him from us. He had heard it during a class, himself, from one of the instructors. In the end I shortened it down to cut away a lot of the jargon and bull crap and to get to the real meat of the matter.

Choices, habits, and expectations.

We make so many choices based on so many habits and expectations that, sometimes - if not more so - we get into so many ruts that when we cut loose from them it's like some sort of soul lifting revelation, and not just the smart decision it should be. This could be for anything; money, friends, jobs, or even romantic relationships. We all fall victim to this, at some point, and to some level. And, for the most part, we usually manage to break free of this, with some varying degree of success for some period of time.

In many ways this is the another play on the old joke about the definition of crazy; doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. However this has the twist of being played from the other end; where the sudden realization that it's not playing out makes you come to your senses and you cheerfully set about to do it a different way... that still brings you back to the same point of frustration. (Guys who keep losing their shirts over the next big, easy thing or women who keep meeting all kinds of different jerks.)

There's no moral point, here; no resolution for troubles, no answers to vexing troubles. Just the accounting that we all have this problem. We all throw money at things, are hearts to people, or our energies to folk that got no want or love but to take it. Then we have a reckoning and profusely swear that that was it; no more! And then to get elated at our new found wisdom... until we're back at the wall, again, banging our head, waiting to stop so it can feel all better.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need an Aspirin...