Reason #326: Odds and Ends

Posted at June 10, 2010

I have always been kind of an odd-ball, you know, one of those that just doesn’t “fit in.” I mean I tried. I even went to law school, the perfect breeding ground for “cogs.” What are “cogs” you ask? Well, I just finished reading a great book by Seth Godin called Lynchpin. Godin describes “cogs” as those that do fit in…perfectly. You know the types, those that fit perfectly into “the system” and would not ever consider in the least respect any act of “bucking it.” And life has, up until now, rewarded them nicely for their compliance. Well, according to Seth all that is changing. These days the world demands artists, rather than cogs. Cogs are being commoditized and devalued, whereas artists are being valued more highly. Why? Because art by definition is rare and scarce and its rareness and scarcity makes it valuable. However the paradox is that art is inherently non-commercial in that it is given away, because as soon as you put a price on it, you devalue it. These are very odd notions, which is why they might appeal to an “odd-ball” like me. I just got back from a trip to the U.S. On the flight there, I believe Spirit Flight 756, there is this surly male flight attendant who always sings a little diddy while the plane is taxiing to the gate at the Fort Lauderdale airport. You know what? That gutsy and seemingly insignificant act is “art” and it makes this particular flight attendant invaluable. His job is most likely much more secure than his counterparts precisely because he refuses to be a cog and chooses to be an artist…to give away this little piece of artistry that makes him stand out in the crowd, to become a real “show-stopper.” Granted the guy ain’t no Tony Bennet, but I will guarantee you his small gift brightens the faces and days of countless passengers who would otherwise be feeling a bit grumpy after a long cramped flight. What’s the point of all this? Well, maybe being an odd-ball isn’t so bad after all. Sometimes I look at many of my peers who have such conventional “cog-like” lives and feel as if my oddness has cheated me of all that. Then I remember that many, if not most, of those guys I would consider ends. Because their own comfort is the end of their existence and it shows in their attitudes towards others, towards the world. I don’t want to be an end, especially when it looks a lot like that particular location on a horse! No I would rather be odd and maybe even an artist and maybe someday, a “lynchpin.” It is time to stop doing things the same way they’ve always been done. It is time for artistry.