Just don’t hurt people

Want to make the world a better place? The solution is simple.

Put me in charge of everything.

Sure, allowing one person to decide everything by fiat may be a little frightening, but as long as people remember the “dictator” part of “benevolent dictator,” I would try to remember the “benevolent” part.

Or, if the entire world seems like a little much, start with making me the leader of this country and let me prove myself before granting world domination.

Either way, there would be a lot of things to do, but I’m pretty sure I know where I’d start.

“Not everybody leaves

Well enough alone

Stays out of business that ain’t their own

But all my favorite people do.”

From “All My Favorite People,” Maren Morris and Brothers Osborne

My blogging buddy Renata recently wrote a guest post for Grattan Street Press about having been polyamorous — how she liked being able to be in serious relationships and date others at the same time.

Now, however, she’s in a monogamous relationship with her fiancé because that kind of relationship works better for them (although it did take some getting used to).

Polyamory isn’t something I could have ever imagined doing, and I’m guessing that’s the case for a lot of people, but as long as everyone is honest and no one gets hurt, it shouldn’t be an issue for anyone who isn’t involved.

People spend way too much time worrying about how other people live their lives, so I were in charge of everything, “Who cares?” would be a major part of my ruling philosophy.

• If people do things that are against the law, the authorities would intercede.
• If people do things that are hurting themselves, others may try to help where appropriate.
• If people do things that aren’t breaking the law, hurting themselves or hurting anyone else … who cares?

You or I may not wish to partake in or like what people do, or want to be around people who do certain things, and may what they’re doing is rather odd, but people are going to do what they’re going to do, and most of the time, we need not worry about it.

Sure, I can be unduly judgmental at times, but I’m trying, and the world would be a better, nicer place if everyone worried less about what the folks across the road, down the street, the next town over or anywhere else are up to.

BrainStorms everywhere!

My thoughts on not worrying about how other people live their lives is an answer to a couple questions on my BrainStorms Award nomination from the folks at T.B.C. — “If you were the leader of your country — how would you make it better?” and “What do you think the world needs more of right now to become a better place?”

Graham at Middle Age Fanclub also nominated me, and many thanks to both him and T.B.C.

All this comes a few weeks after Helen of Crispy Confessions nominated me, and I’ll leave the details, rules, my questions and nominations to the post I wrote for that nomination, but I wanted to answer the questions T.B.C. and Graham posed.

T.B.C.’s questions (the rest of them, anyway)

What was the last book/tv programme you read/watched, and what did you think of it? — I’m currently reading “From Peoples to Nations” by John Connelly. It is a very long book about the history of Eastern Europe, and it took forever to get going, but I’m getting more into it now.

As for what I watch/watched, most of it is sports or Michael Portillo rail journeys, but I recently saw some very good news.

October. pic.twitter.com/1kNnfr13Wa

— Succession (@succession) August 23, 2021

What challenges did you face in your blogging/vlogging journey and how did you overcome? — This is probably ironic for an award with the word “brainstorms” in the title, but my biggest challenge continues to be writer’s block.

There’s the writer’s block that comes from having no ideas, and I definitely get a lot of that, but the other problem I have is that I start formulating an idea, but I won’t write it because I worry it’s going to suck.

Either way, the only solution I’ve found is to sit down and write.

What is the best bit of advice in life anyone has EVER given you? — I don’t know if they ever sat me down and specifically told me to do this, but I got the message early and frequently from my parents that if I make a commitment, I need to live up to it.

Graham’s questions

Could you recommend a cheese to me and let me know why, please? — A cheese melted on top of pizza or on chicken with pasta sauce. The reason should be self-explanatory.

What’s your favourite quote? — “Lions don’t concern themselves with the opinions of sheep.”

If you could have walk on music, you know for every time you enter a room or your workplace, what would it be? You can mix songs together if you want. — So many good choices, but I have to go with a classic.

Who would you get to play you in the film of your life? — George Clooney, mainly so I could see myself on-screen as being handsome and charming.

What were your three favourite things about lockdown? (It’s OK to say that there were good things about lockdown, by the way. We discovered a house with an entire miniature railway in their back garden that we’d have never known about had it not been for lockdown walks) —

1. The aforementioned Michael Portillo rail journeys, which we’ve turned into an event every week.
2. The simple joy of walks.
3. The way we found something to do to celebrate every day of the Christmas season, from seeing Christmas lights to our favorite Christmas specials to special desserts.

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