Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Thoughts while, well, while thinking

Someone has taken to posting statements in the bathroom at work, statements I think are supposed to be of an inspirational nature.

The latest offerings are these two:

"Eduation is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance," and

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."

Call me a killjoy, but I have a minor problem with this. For one thing, I wonder who has time to search for these words of wisdom, type 'em up, print them off a color copier, and hang them in the Ladies'. If there's someone out there with that much free time, I'll be happy to share some items on my scheudle that have been languishing since April 2nd.

And while I'm all for loving and being loved, I can think of a small handful of things that are right up there on the list of the greatest things I'll ever learn. Here are a few:


  • Breathe. If you don't, you'll die.

  • Don't put anything in your mouth that you don't intend to swallow and use for fuel. Before you become all silly and giggly, I add this one in honor of a coworker who spent a recent unpleasant evening in the local ER with her young son who had swallowed a coin. Following multiplpe rounds of x-rays, exams, blood tets and such, he was discharged with instructions to come back the next day for more of the same (to check for movement of the coin). The next evening she caught him with a bottle cap in his mouth. I laughed my ass off listening to her tell the story, and I'm certain it was so amusing only because it wasn't my child.

  • Take time for yourself. If you don't, you won't be much good to anyone else. Don't wait until the time is right because it probably never will be the right time. Work is the usual screwer-up of "me time."

  • Be nice to others. Being nice gets paid back at least double.

  • Be willing to go next (as in let someone go before you). Go where? Doesn't matter. Onto the on ramp. Up to the counter at the bank. To the checkout line at the supermarket. Through a door. It's another way you can be nice.


Can you think of a few more? Share them with me and I'll post them and maybe give you credit.

Sorry, that's not being nice. I will give you credit.

Posted by Penny at 12:36 PM

2 comments:

O.W. said...

I've seen many a mysterious thing in the men's room before, but nothing that I'd consider inspirational.

And, it should also be noted (no pun intended) that, in the men's room, messages are not left on post-it notes or colorful paper. I believe that would get you shot at.

But, messages are scrawled on the wall in magic marker, or etched in by those of us who take large knives into the bathroom with us (for self-defense and occassional mincing).

My recent favorites:

"I just wrote on the bathroom wall. Take that society!"

"Everytime you fart, God kills a kitten."

April 16, 2008 at 8:58 AM
Dave said...

Okay, so I have to add a few:

Seen at the airport, an American Airlines poster states: "Breakfast in New York, Lunch in Paris" and someone had written below that "Baggage in Hong Kong"

Some things written in the men's room (not necessarily inspirational):

In case of attack, hide under the urinals. Nobody ever hits them.

Please don't throw your butts in the urinal. It makes them soggy and hard to light.

(Written above the urinal) Your child's future is in your hands.

Prose from the stall walls:

Humpty Dumpty was pushed.

Friends don't let friends take home ugly men

..and last, but certainly not least...

To do is to be - Descartes
To be is to do - Voltaire
Do be do be do - Frank Sinatra

April 16, 2008 at 5:28 PM

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