photo: phill deason
© 2009
in response to the farewell prompt at One Single Impression
***
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who lived among us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was; his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as
- Knowing when to come in out of the rain
- Why the early bird gets the worm
- Life isn't always fair
- Maybe it was my fault
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of
- A 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate
- Teenagers suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch
- A teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. His well-being declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an Aspirin to a student, but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault and finally gave up the will to live after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot, spilled a little in her lap, promptly sued and was awarded a huge settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death by
- his parents, Truth and Trust
- his wife, Discretion
- his daughter, Responsibility
- his son, Reason
- I Know My Rights
- I Want It Now
- Someone Else Is To Blame
- I'm A Victim
If you still remember him, tell people; if not, join the majority and do nothing.
