Lather. Rinse. Repeat. (Live. Work. Play.)

Are you familiar with that annoying set of instructions on your shampoo bottle?  You know, the whole:  Lather, Rinse, Repeat thing?.  Yes, we are adults, using shampoo intended for adults.  I think we have all figured out the process by now, but there are still those people who believe they must tell us what to do and how to do it.  

It sort of reminds me of that city mantra that we've had drilled into our heads for months now:  Live, Work, Play.  And, once you buy into the idea that being sandwiched into a small area where you must then do everything, you will soon learn one more fact:  You want to walk everywhere you go while you are living, working and playing, too.  

If you are not so sure about this whole city mindset, believe me, you are not alone.  Just remember, before the city virus was released into our area, you may have even been thinking, "I actually like my neighborhood and my home.  I even like my car and my yard.  I like things the way they are.  I was sold on the American dream and I'm not ready to let that go.  Does that mean ... I am anti-city??"

The answer:  Of course not!  You can like cities and not want to live in one.  You can like cities, but still be cautious about those trying to form one.  

I moved to Atlanta because it was a big city with lots of opportunities and lots of different people from all over the world.  I love the unique quality of our various neighborhoods and the cultures and local businesses that go along with them.  I don't want to see our communities turned into copy cat versions of each other.  I don't want to change Atlanta like that.

I don't want an image of something better.  I actually want the something better.  I don't want a catchy slogan.  I want the true meaning behind the slogan.  I want the real thing, not the promises that people make when they are asking for money.  Talk to me when you don't need something from me.  That's how you build trust.

I wish that I had faith in the self-appointed, or governor-appointed or even the elected politicians to help get us there, but I just don't.  And here is why:  politics is being played like a game and we are all just pawns being used in it for someone else's amusement. 

We are given public meetings to attend in hopes that our voices will be heard, but we learn that hearing us and taking action for us are very different things.  There are clearly plans being hatched and groups of savvy businessmen and women who are making deals and promises with one another.  Most of those deals center around the use of our tax dollars.  OUR tax dollars.  Yet, they do not let us in on the plan.  

Live. Work. Play.  
Sounds a lot like:  Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

But just because you hear or see something everyday does not mean it is true.  Just because someone decides to tell you something and they continue to tell you and tell you and tell you, does not make their words any more true or appealing.  

Yes, I live.  I also work and live simultaneously.  That's good.  But, I am grown, so I don't "play" and if I told someone that I did, they would probably laugh at me.  I might enjoy some "down time" now and then, but I have a second grader, so I don't get a lot of that.  

She likes to play, though.  She also likes to walk.  If she had a good school we could walk to then she might even have more time left to play.  Instead, we are normally stuck in traffic like everyone else.  But, even then we wouldn't ask someone to make us "walk-able."  We probably would ask for more sidewalks and those cost money.   And the money wouldn't be in the budget if we just approved a whole new layer of government and we had to pay their salaries, would it?

Live. Work. Play.
Lather.  Rinse.  Repeat. 

Guess what... I've got news for you ...

You don't really have to do the "repeat" step.  Shocking, isn't it?  But, it's true!  They just wanted you to run out of shampoo a lot sooner so you would have to buy more.  But, your hair will still get clean if you just "Lather" and "Rinse."  I promise.  Go ahead, you can try it out for yourself.   Oh,  you already have?  And it worked out fine?

It is hard to believe we made it this far in life and haven't even been shampooing our hair correctly, isn't it?

So, if we can do that and still be okay, I bet we can figure out a way to live, work and play without having to pay higher taxes, don't you?

In fact ... I bet we could even figure out how to:  

Work.  Play.  Live.



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