If it Feels Good Do It

You can only experience something for the first time once. Makes sense, right. Even seems a little obvious. But, is it true?

I was recently talking to a friend who had resisted reading 1984 - not because he thought he wouldn't like it - but because he wanted to savour that first-time experience. He'd read Brave New World because he'd heard them compared. He walked around with a copy. I looked at this avid reader in utter dismay, because I knew that he would adore this novel. I quickly ran to my room and found my copy to hand over.

This is why I believe it is possible to recapture the feeling of doing something for the first time - by passing it on.

Nearly four years ago, I was in my fourth year at UNBSJ and working at Kent part time. At work, I hung out with two young men, about my age, who I also went to school with. We spent entire Saturday evening shifts discussing books, school, movies, girl/boy troubles and Star Wars. These boys spent a solid 68% of our shifts referencing and quoting Star Wars. The trouble was that I had never seen it. I had resisted for many of the same reasons that my friend resisted reading 1984.

Also, I worried that it was built up so much by so many people that it would inevitably disappoint. After much chastising, when The Revenge of the Sith was released in theatres, I sat down and watched Star Wars. All of them. However, I started with the prequels. (For anyone else who lived under a rock and never saw Star Wars, I highly recommend you watch them in that order). JarJar Binks is an almost tolerable character when you've never seen any of the other movies. Anyway, I digress.

These two boys, who had literally seen Star Wars hundreds of times, found new appreciation in sharing it with me. My thoughts on the experiment we tried were valued, and I could see the twinkle in their eyes in listening to what I had to say. They had the opportunity to watch a favourite movie of theirs through new eyes.

For me, I feel this fresh feeling every time I share my favourite song with someone who's never heard it - I get down right giddy. It's pretty ridiculous. It's one of those songs that starts off quietly, and then builds into this big, brassy, mass of excellence. The lyrics are stellar as well. (The song is My Little Town by Simon and Garfunkel - I couldn't find a decent version on youtube, so I didn't post a link). Anyway, I love watching someone who's never heard the song listen to it. I get chills just like the first time I heard it.

My point is, if something is great - it will be even greater as you pass it on.

When Pigs Fry

I read this morning that the Egyptian government has ordered the slaughter of every pig in the country. I have a few things to say about this:
1. HOLY OVERREACTION BATMAN
2. Is it really going to prevent people from catching swine flu? What's the next step: shooting anyone who enters the country who 'may have' come in contact with someone who's been infected?
3. There have been no reported cases in Egypt. Really, I should invert 2 and 3.
4. Who does this help? It certainly isn't the pig farmer. Or the pig (but perhaps they're doomed anyway). Or even the consumer...
5. When does this stop? Who draws the line?