Simple Answers to Complex Questions

 

         Ben watches me sort through paperwork piled on the desk, put away art supplies used to make presents and generally straighten things up. I enjoy these tasks as a way to make my little corner of the world comfortable and certain. I take a few minutes to dust off his foliage and check the soil in his pot. Looks good.

         "Ah another holiday season come and gone, what's your New Year's resolution?" he asks cheerfully, relieved with my attention to him.

         " Not to make unrealistic New Year's resolutions," I answer as I take a break to read the news which I swore I wouldn't do after the election but ... bad habits are hard to break.

         "Speaking of which-- maybe next year will be better," I sigh heavily at my lack of discipline and growing cynicsm.

         "Why was this year bad -- and just the highlights please," he pleads, knowing my tendencies to be long winded. I can take a hint even as I frown at him.

         " Nothing worked to end wars, economic failures, the collapsing environment, etc. There are simple solutions to many problems but we prefer to think of them as too complex for any attempts to solve. Incentive is missing here," I complain.

         "Simple huh, so how can homelessness be solved?" Ben does enjoy baiting me with big challenges.

         "Give them a home, duh," I answer. Ben is not impressed.

         "Ok, they need a warm, safe place to sleep and keep their stuff so they can get their life in order, not the other way around, next," I snap.

         "Why do people hate transgender women?"

         "Because it's seen as a step down on the social scale, like why would a guy want to put up with the shit women deal with, next."

         "Why did the English vote for Brexit?"

         "They don't consider themselves European and don't want to be a part of it even if it helps them economically."

         "Speaking of the English why do we use the English standard of measuring and not metric?"

         "Like the snobbish Brits, we believe we're special and don't need to follow the rest of the world, but nobody really knows."        

         "Yeah, so what's a hot dog made of?"

         "Don't even go there," I warn him.

         "Will there be big earthquake in the Northwest?"

         "Yes."

         "Are we ready for it?"

         "No."

         "Why do some believe the Earth is flat?"

         "They fear what science is telling us, so they reject it. Done." I declare, shut down the computer and return to the relaxing joy of organizing.