Well I have been writing a lot of political and philosophical stuff in the last couple of posts (I even swore in a few and posted one of those on LinkedIn – oh, how naughty to actually print fuck!) and during that time I got to thinking what it must be like to be other people.

I often go on personal empathetic journeys, wondering ‘what would it be like to be….’

So here’s just a few that come to mind:

Bill Gates
My thoughts were – when you had more money than you could ever spend, what would be fun any more.  Would it be fun to mess around in your shed, or does fixing the lawn mower get trumped by ‘how will I make my next billion.’  I think Bill walked away from it all and set up his foundation.  Someone said he was trying to buy a Nobel Prize – which I think is fair enough as it is better than trying to buy ‘SnapChat’ – curing world hunger and disease beats a good selfie any day!

Tony Abbott
Did he really start out to do what he has done – surely not!  Do any of them from any political side, what makes a man of values and virtue do some of the stuff they do.  Just one question answered Yes or No by any of them would make my day.  Also have you ever thought how they are supposed to know all the stuff the media ask them?

Myuran Sukumaran
What were those last moments like – knowing what was coming.

Terrorists
Really?  How can you think what you are doing is okay at any level, anywhere…

Nelson Mandella
Who was gaoled for being a terrorist – then wasn’t a terrorist when the government changed – then became the government and opposed violence.

My Mum
She’s dead now, but what was it really like.  Was I a selfish, self centred, disregarding, never visiting, take for granted, spoilt child like I think mine are? (PS:  I don’t think my Mum ever told a lie!)

My Children
Do my children think they are the same as the above, or that I am hard to deal with, controlling, killjoy, overprotective, guilt mongering, cash tight, old fashioned, fuddy-duddy parent?

The Fucking Arsehole that Just Cut Me Off
Is he/she an arsehole; do they think I am an arsehole?  I am trying to think what I know about them and realise I am actually them… we all are.  Then I realise I know nothing about them – there are just too many of them!

Me
No, really enough about me – what about you – what do you think of me?  What is it really like to be me (or You – I have assessed YOU below).  Do I really know what it is like to be me.  Do I spend a lot of time pretending to be you wondering what it is like to be me – trying to understand me?  Probably not.

You
I don’t think about you much – I am too busy thinking about me and occasionally wondering what you think about me.  Plus you are probably the arsehole that just cut me off.  Or, could it be possible that you could be me, just the same, but not me.

So, now that I proven that I need to up my medication (what with the split personality flipping between me, you and Bill Gates!), but honestly I am getting pretty sick and tired of all the lies.

I wrote yesterday about the Merchants of Misery (the media and advertising) basically telling us that we are rubbish unless we buy some stuff they tell us we should buy.  But, I am equally sick and tired of the lies everywhere that we tell each other and ourselves about each other and ourselves.

I suppose I am especially disturbed about the lies we tell ourselves and am constantly gob smacked how some of those lies we can actually believe….

• “I did not have sexual relations with that woman….”
• “There will be no carbon tax under a government….”
• “We will find the weapons of mass destruction….” (NB: While typing that I made a typo and wrote “weapons of mass distraction”…….!!!)
• “I’m not fat, stop oppressing me and giving me a false body image…..”
• “Gay marriage is an important social……” (NB:  Don’t ask me what I think about gay marriage, because I don’t….)
• “Climate change is…….”
• “The Cheque is in the mail…..” (NB: Only for those over 40!)
• “You look great in that……”

Enough of the quotes I am making up or reciting from memory.  I am just sick of the lies…..

• Politicians not saying Yes or No;
• Banks lying by omission on hidden fees and charges (but it was in the PDS! – whatever the fuck that is!)
• Business saying it is okay to spend millions on lunch
• Public servants saying they are working hard
• Politicians using the public sector as their election campaign team and pretending it is policy or progress
• The Police saying there is no traffic quota (and speed cameras are not for revenue raising – really, fucking spare me!)
• The Merchants of Misery – everything they say
• Me saying I am giving up smoking
• My kids saying they didn’t get my text and they are reaaaaaally busy
• I oppose the death penalty….. hang on what is that shiny thing over there – I oppose that too…..

But, mostly lying to ourselves that I am more important than you: we are more important (and my new LCD TV) than that starving black kid in whatever overseas land on the news right before the story about the Crows getting beaten and that bloody Port Power winning…..

Really, just stop lying.  If you lie and keep telling yourself it is true, or true enough, or it doesn’t matter, then perhaps it doesn’t, because we will be doomed to die a most unfortunate death……

A death,
oblivious to the truth,
oblivious to others,
and the saddest of all…..

…….oblivious to ourselves.