“You know the old saying ‘Dance as if no one’s watching, sing as if no one’s listening, and live everyday as if it were your last‘, don’t you?”
“Well sure, but I think there are exceptions to that saying. It’s not like it is set in stone. It’s not an immutable law of the universe.”
“No, of course it isn’t, but I can’t see there being any need for exceptions to it. It’s a mindset. A philosophy to enjoying life to its fullest.”
“Oh, I have no problem with it as a philosophy. I do believe everyone should live life to its fullest. Otherwise what’s the point of life? But I do think there are exceptions to that saying.”
“Really, and what kind of exceptions are you thinking should be in place?”
“Well, for one, I think that if you really live every day as if it were your last, it could lead to bad things for some folks.”
“Really? And how’s that?”
“Ask folks what they would do if they knew it was the last day of their lives and what do you think they would say? Do you think anyone would say ‘Oh, I think I will go to work.‘? Of course not. If everyone adhered to that literally, then no one would ever work, the economy would tank, folks would run out of money before too long, no one would be able to support themselves or their families. And let’s not even talk about the folks who respond ‘I would try drug xyz because I would be dying anyway, so I may as well see what it’s like.‘ You’d be looking at a potential heroin/meth/crack/designer drug of the week explosion, at least in some portion of the population.”
“Yeah, OK, folks would probably not go to work if they knew it was their last day, but all in all I think that’s really kind of a pessimistic view of humanity you’re describing.”
“Oh sure it’s pessimistic, but it doesn’t make it any less accurate. Economic disaster and junkies everywhere, that’s what it would be.”
“Now I am sure there would be more folks who would spend time with their friends and families …”
“Yep, I’m sure there would be as well. But you would still have economic ruin if you ran with the literal interpretation. And the streets would be filled with the sound of off-key singing.”
“What?”
“About 4% of the population is tone deaf.”
“Yeah, but that is only 4%.”
“Right, so there is a core 4% that will sound like a chipmunk singing opera. Add to the the estimated 60% of the population that has ‘trouble’ with singing on key and it will be a cacophony of chipmunks being scraped down chalkboards while singing opera to 8 bit video game tunes.”
“Wait … 60%?”
“Yeah, I read that somewhere. Suffice to say that the noise will be horrendous … and may lead to a larger explosion in hard drug use in order to cope with it.”
“Oh I don’t think it will be that bad.”
“No, it will more than likely be worse. Because then you will have folks dancing to that deafening din and doing so like a bunch of seagulls running down a beach.”
“Seagulls don’t run.”
“My point exactly.”
“There can’t be that many folks who dance that badly.”
“Well, when you are dancing to music that has no discernible rhythm, or worse, hundreds of different rhythms that do not sync with one another, while you have enough horse tranquilizer coursing through your veins to drop a … well, a horse, it is a recipe for disaster.”
“I’m sure it won’t be that bad.”
“Two words. Elaine dance.”
“Ewww.”
“Yeah. So anyway, that’s why I think there should be exceptions.”
“Yeah, OK, point taken.”
“So, what are you up for tonight? Maybe some karaoke and clubbing?”