We are curious creatures

I was listening to the news on the radio on the way home the other evening. Just another ho hum reality show. We can't wait to hear was our political front runner had for lunch in a greasy spoon he wouldn't be caught dead in for the next 4 years.

We are curious about the damnedest things. We scream and holler about who is running for office...go to giant rallies, give money to favorites and generally make fools of ourselves, and after the election? The beasts we elect turn on us and we want to throw the bums out.

We, as individuals, have allegiance to our places. We are proud of the fact we live in a house, neighborhood and town.  We, as a collective, love our local college and high school teams. If our alma mater has a losing season, we howl for the coach's head. 

I wonder just how long our "lemming" stage will last. We will all follow each other into oblivion? I know we feel safety in numbers. We, like animals, do become herd bound: incapable of making decisions on our own...just follow the beast in front of you.

As individuals and families, we seem to do pretty well at staying focused on our daily tasks in life...going to school, work, maintaining our living space. Give us an opportunity to act stupid in a group...we take it.

The old time "medicine show" doctor knew how to sell water to the masses. Give a little music, whip up the crowd, and then tell em your've got a cure everything including falling down stairs. Everyone in the crowd will by a bottle. As a group we are gullible...more so than as individuals.

We are in the midst of a political race for the presidency in 2016. Common decency is out the window. Drag out every speck of closet dirt on anyone running for office and throw it at the feet of the electorate. Vilify your opposition. Promise voters anything, give them trinkets, pins, paper hats, noise makers, signs and a mantra. They'll follow "their man" off a cliff. We seem to dumb down as a group.

I find it all very intimidating, as one who doesn't like crowds. How does this mass "we the people" become a herd of sheep? I guess that's why I don't like crowds...I never did like sheep.

Good luck with the election this year, I'm over it already.