On Chasing Neighbors With Swords
I've hear it said that on certain occasions, a quiet Oxford philologist called J.R.R. Tolkien used to dress up in a full suit of armor and chase his neighbors around the block while wielding a sword. Some might explain this rather odd behavior as evidence that Mr. Tolkien was beginning to take his fantastic literary creations a little too seriously and was surely on the path to madness. Instead, I would suggest this is clear evidence that the man was sane.Outbursts of silliness - of imaginative, playful silliness - can be incomparable medicine for the soul; they free us of the seriousness of the world, of the grave and heavy tones of the mundane. The political world is imperialistic. Left and right are ever joined in an effort to colonize every possible world, to make the least of our dreams or the greatest of our loves a slave to their rhetoric. It is likewise with the world business. A professor who has never heard a joke argues that supply and demand are more important for human happiness than laughter, and soon enough only the utopias of Adam Smith or Karl Marx are the ones laughing. But not only towering philosophies cast shadows. I think most of the time it is our own towers that are the tallest. We take ourselves so seriously that we make the little things in our daily lives matters of grave concern. The question of choosing what to wear each morning soon becomes "What will others think of me today?" and even "What will I think of myself?" We all think so much of ourselves (even those with "low self-esteem," I would suggest) that the thought of others not being impressed by us soon becomes unbearable. This is not only true regarding our friends and family, sometimes the possibility that a complete stranger might think us ridiculous can be downright terrifying.
But of course, what is ridiculous is not us but an idea like that. A wise man has said that angels fly because they take themselves lightly. There may be more than mere fancy in such a thought. The "ridiculous" J.R.R. Tolkien had a mind that could soar over an entire new world, full of peoples, stories, dangers, dreams... and jokes. So our duty to be silly and even feel silly on occasion should be taken seriously. Are you a trendy dresser? How about wearing the first clothes you find in your dad's closet (or mom's, as the case may be) before going to the movies? Are you known for your sober or classy looks? How about painting your hair purple for a couple of weeks? Are you concerned with taking care of your "coolness" factor? How about singing loudly as you walk somewhere (while sober)? Do you see yourself as an intellectual? Why not admit you were touched by the latest chick flick you watched in secret? Adam Sandler's "Fifty First Dates," for example?
Pride, ego, a reputation, call it what you will, these things do not come without chains. Silliness breaks those chains and turns them into a source of laughter and good memories. Practice looking like a fool. I seriously advise it.
posted by ertandberni @ 11:55 AM
<< Home