A Picture To Burn

On the way home from Ultimate Frisbee today, I was listening to the song A Picture to Burn by Taylor Swift. But it dawned upon me that no reason is given, no clue provided, as to what her boyfriend did that sent her upon this rampage of hating his truck, calling upon her father as a defense, and threatening to date all his best friends. And so I think we naturally assume the worse to fill this void. He must certainly have cheated on her, or could have lied about how much he loved her. However, I think we assume too much. I think I know what he did.

There are three real-world possibilities:

1) He left the toilet seat up.
2) When he asked to go out with his friends and she replied, "I don't care," he interpreted it as, "I really don't care." (Notice that 'really' was added in his mind.)
3) He used "the" hand towels - you know, the hand towels you can't use for your hands... or anything else for that matter.

But since we are on the topic, let me continue. The first two can be sent to the wash. Guys, you need to be considerate. But number three is totally defensible. What is a hand towel which is never used? What is a soda which is never drank? What is a candy bar which is never eaten? To speak in the feminine tongue, what is the sake of purchased chocolate if it is only used for visual appreciation? By drinking the soda, by eating the candy bar, by enjoying the taste of chocolate, we are adding meaning to the existence of that object - however inanimate.   Likewise, by using that hand towel, not as an object of visual appreciation, but as an object of its intended function, we are providing meaning to that hand towel, fulfilling its purpose.

Buy a painting of hand towels, and, if need be, look at it all day. Let it inspire, let it dazzle, for that is the function of a painting of a hand towel.

... And this is why being out of school is bad for my health.

Cheers!