Waiting in Line

This weekend we went to see Peppa Pig at the Zoo. Jonah and I did not particularly want to take a picture with the person in the suit. Jonah immediately wanted to see, "a little Peppa Pig" and the truth is the mask is ingerently not Peppa Pig as Peppa is drawn in Picasso-like fashion with Peppa's snout in profile but the two eyes facing forward. But Noah wanted to wait and I didn't have the heart to just tell him what to do, until finally, after being cut off and told Peppa will be back in 30 minutes, Noah had to use the bathroom. We sort of made it and sort of didn't. Once we left the line and decided to live our own life the experience at the zoo was great. We saw real animals. Granted they did move some warthogs and zebras and ostriches to a place where you could wait for Peppa and watch the animals. And standing and watching animals is not worse then wandering the zoo. But to stand in line for that long if you didn't want too... why? We did it because everyone else was doing it. Noah is of that personality and me and Jonah aren't. However, that thinking has recently rubbed off on me. I thought back to my dreams before and my aspirations now. Now I really want a job, an income, a house of my own, things of my own, that sort of thing. These are the things I have really been thinking about. But when did I ever want these things in the past? I suppose I simply want them because other people want them. Because I see that others have them and are waiting in line for them. The truth is, deep down, I do not really want these things. What I want is what I already have. My two sons, my health, the life I have.

Peppa Pig's line was a little microcosm of this that woke me up to it. The zoo is way better than Peppa Pig in a suit. And all the adults know this. But we all tortured ourselves waiting in line because everyone else was doing it and because it was presented as something special that we needed to do.

Money was created to make life easier so that you could trade stuff that you needed or wanted more easily. There was stuff that you needed, and then there was art. Even the most beautiful art, the most expensive, is essentially arts and crafts. And the arts and crafts of your child are pretty much worth more than some jade carver from 10,000 years ago. Why? because I don't know that guy. He was skilled but who is he to me? Screw him. I want my kids drawing.

So we get jobs and we wait in line to get imaginary zeroes in our bank account. Why?

Okay, we need to eat, and we need a place to live. And then we need certain things for fun. But what is fun? Is it seeing Peppa Pig? Is that more fun than the other things that don't torture us with a line that are nearby and easily accessible?

Some people think that being innovative is essentially cutting in line. But really maybe it is as simple as getting out of it, or never getting in it, and simply finding something better, that is different.