Assumptions

The Bad News Bears is a film about a cellar-dwelling baseball team that played in some Little League in some non-descript town in Texas. It was your typical underdog story meant to inspire it's audience via the premise that despite their inherent mediocrity, they can still conquer the odds if they pool in their talents. It's also about second (and third, and fourth, maybe fifth) chances, as represented by the team's alcoholic coach, Morris Buttermaker (played by the late great, Walter Matthau).

Having watched the abhorrent sequels that do the original little to justice, that theme seems iron clad. But perhaps the most distinct lesson I picked up from this dated film comes from the first scene of the original. Surprisingly enough, a mere extra is the source of this nugget of wisdom: "Never Assume, because if you do, you make an Ass of You, and Me".

Let's break that down: Ass / U / Me.

Clever eh?

Of course this sets a deadly precedent, if one were to follow this philosophy to the letter, one risks not ever taking risks.... wait.. what?

Anyways, lame jokes of wordplay aside, never assuming is just saying never take risks. Behaviors are predictable to some extent, that cannot be denied, but to not act upon them for fear of the consequences (Ass - U - Me) will lead to no progress. While such ideals are supported by the 2nd Law of Sexual Dynamics, there are times when laws are meant to be bent or broken. That's probably why it is called a risk in the first place. There is never certainty involved and most likely the consequences will most undoubtedly suck. At least that what's most optimist would like us to think.

Perhaps the middle part of the word's dissection is easily missed. Assumptions are fine if, and only if, the risk-ee (the one chancing it) will suffer all the negative results. We hardly stop to consider that maybe, just maybe, somebody else will also partake in the disaster that you so vehemently initiated. Nevermind the possibility that our ability to assess the behaviours that we've observed are way off and tarnished by our own dellusional egos. Assuming is like the Tango, it takes two, and the parties involved reap the benefits as well share the despair.

So what would be the ideal way of handling such things? There is no ideal manner in going about assumptions. At best what we can do is to always see it to the end, whether we succeed or ultimately fail.

Pictures (A So-Called Blog Post)

Brian: I became yearbook photographer because I liked the idea that I could sort of watch life without having to be part of it. But when you're yearbook photographer, you're, like, never in the picture.

Most people may no remember where the above line comes from. Especially considering that it came from a short-lived series in the 90s that introduced the waking world to one Claire Danes. My So-Called life was emo even before emo was a word. Perhaps the failure of the show was due to honesty in it's dialog. Unlike shows like Dawson's Creek or One Tree Hill, it didn't have the eloquence that made characters seem more engaging or more world-weary than their supposed age. Instead we are subjected to poorly constructed Valley Girl English, full of "ums" and "like" which felt awkward yet honest and authentic. Of course, this meant that the tension was surreal and hardly fit for entertainment. Despite everything, the show had it's moments, and I tried to religiously watch it every chance I got.

Instead of a catchy rock ballad, the show only had this, I suppose they were trying to be edgy?

It wasn't long before that one season would end with the show getting canceled due to low ratings. It then proceeded to fade into obscurity with Ms. Danes' claim to fame being more recognized as a slew of movies which included a reimagination of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and the big screen adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Stardust. Still, like most young teens at that time, I was looking for answers in the wrong places, particularly more interested in the leading female protagonist who was, as that time, a rising star. Looking back, it seemed silly, but re-reading the quotes from the show with the help of wikiquote.org put the show in a new light.

The cast of the show, and yes, 3rd guy from the left is gay.

I specifically looked for the lines shown at the top of the post because it was one of the snippets of dialog that stuck to me. Brian Krakow (Devon Gummersall) played the token Nerg/Loser Guy for the show, who was secretly in love with the main protagonist Angela Chase (Claire Danes). The borrowed lines served as the opening narration wherein Brian shows just how much on an outsider he feels, yet seems to enjoy it despite the bittersweet predicament he usually finds himself in.

Personally, the concept of viewing life merely as an observer has its merits. The methapor is exquisitely sound since it's a matter of capturing moments without being part of them. Simply watching allows us to see moments as they happen, observe and guess what goes on through the lives of people without suffering the consequences. We save ourselves from the responsbilities of each action, viewing solely to judge, assess, and study; shielded from the negativities of these interactions such as heartbreak, sorrow, or pain. A welcome reprieve for many, but a huge price to pay if one considers the fine print.

At the same time however, we lose out on feeling the joy, the glory and the affection of such moments. Seeing happiness in people and realizing the pure joy that they're expressing isn't the same as feeling and experiencing it firsthand. The realization is empty and devoid of meaning. Simply put, we cannot expect to recieve such blessings without going through the hardships and the struggles that come with it. Otherwise all we have are hallow observations that lack the understanding of what such moments are truly about, a mere shell of that reality, a S0-Called Life so to speak.

Stepping back and playing behind the scenes is nice if looking for perspective, but all it offers is a look into a world without your influence. Step in, act, and react. Otherwise, succumb to the void and live in a world filled with glass borders where you get to simply watch life unfold and be powerless to affect it.

So Much Comes Back to Haunt Us

This recent discussion in a microblogging site serves as the inspiration for today's post.

As an old friend and confidante used to say, the past is pass, or was it past? No, that doesn't make sense, we shall go with the former then. Of course, viewpoints on the subject matter of histories are nothing new, yet there seems to be a need for further elaboration. After all, if you've read the plurk, as they call it, what may be true before may not be necessarily true today, or tomorrow for that matter.

Barry Manilow's "Somewhere Down the Road", in all it's melancholic cheesiness captures the very essence of the above sentence. Indeed, "the right love at the wrong time" as it where, happens more often than we think. People's belief systems, personalities and quirks have been know to morph. The change is subtle, not clearly evident unless opportunities to test these changes present themselves. Perhaps one is to be blamed/credited for such a change, no matter, it is there and probably there to stay unless another anti-thesis requires the paradigm to shift. Two people may realize that what was once impossible or what couldn't be worked out can be revisited with renewed vigor and perspective. Love the second time around is sweeter, if and only if the parties involved learn from their respective mistakes and, if required, hand out the needed dosage of forgiveness.

But the very concept can be used in the reverse. Being aware of the changes (or the lack thereof) and what transpired in the past can serve as a metaphorical stop sign, if not a clear indication that that ship has sailed. Friendship may be the next best option, or worse, a deep-seeded pang of guilt, hatred, regret and fear could take the place of such remnants.

For whatever reason, the past will always be with us, perhaps not physically, but in our memories. What is important is to remember that it is the past, something that is done and over with. Remember it simply as one of the many footprints we've left in the waking world, there as a reminder of where we've been and how far we've come, and not a shadow overhead that cages us from enjoying what else life can offer.