Frankly Speaking

Breaking the rules

But is that really true? Does absolutely everything have to follow a logical pattern? Could there be another dimension, a grey area of uncertainty if you will, that juts ever so slightly out of the realm of result and consequence and into the uncertain or never-to-be-known?

I’ll give you an example of one thing that I think defies causality. When you buy a pack of socks, you are clearly told how many pairs you are getting. It says so on the packaging and you can even count them to make sure. But as soon as the socks are brought anywhere near a washing machine, the numbers begin to change. They can increase or decrease; not only that, the socks even change shape, pattern and colour. It makes absolutely no sense. I have yet to come across a law of science or logic that can provide an explanation.

And socks are not the only things that fly in the face of logic. There are other anomolies too, pushing against the boundaries of reason, stretching the strictures by which this world is set up. Socks are by no means the only fissures in our safe little world of result and causality.

Take a look at your car keys. They certainly are not subject to normal laws of existence. There is no question in my mind that car keys are of a realm way beyond our comprehension.

As long as they’re ensconced safely in your pocket, car keys, I’ll admit, are unwilling to stray too far. Put them down on a surface, however, and you’re asking for trouble. It’s no wonder that they come in sets of two. The manufacturers have factored in their propensity for self-navigation around the house.

But the greatest rule-breaker of all has got to be the computer screen. It poses little threat when it’s unplugged, but as soon as you’ve turned it on, it begins its dastardly work, doing what it does best.

The screen sucks in time; it vacuums it up like a backlit black hole. It does it with ruthless efficiency. Minutes, hours, even days are no match for the voracious appetite of a well-connected monitor.

We assume that time is a constant, ticking by efficiently, regularly, one second at a time. But the computer screen disrupts the flow of time. It butchers it, pulling out huge chunks of day and stuffing it down its gaping maw. Before you know it the morning has gone. The afternoon has all but disappeared.

Look at your watch again. Look at it now. See how the time has flown by and you didn’t even notice it. These screens are crafty, I tell you!