A Chronicle of Enterprising Demises Honoring those who improve the species...by accidentally removing themselves from it!
The new edition of the darwin awards is a funnier than usual read. New York Times best selling Author Wendy Northcutt has a series of books, and website that makes for a fun read. The website is as a tool for readers to submit stories for future awards. Stories submitted need an eye witness to substantiate, other wise they go to the urban legend section (still a fun read.) At the end of each story is a meter for readers to gauge it's entertainment value. A Darwinian approach to culling through the data she receives. Brilliant.
Now that spring has sprung, with it's longer days so too has a huge surge of testosterone. This past Sunday my 6 and 8 year old sons' were busy removing the trucks and wheels from a couple of old skateboards. Next came a roll of duct tape loops fashioned as bindings.
My inquiry was met with a series of grunts which I shrugged off as M.O.B. so I went back to reading the Sunday New York Times. My Week In Review moment was stopped dead in it's tracks by a vision of my six year old being counseled by the older brother on how best to approach a large set of hillside stairs while duct tapped to a wheel-less skateboard. Apparently they coined a new sport called "dirt boarding" and after spending an hour perfecting technique were ready for the X game equivalent- traversing the steep hillside stairs. Needless to say that my yelling squelched all the fun and the 911 call sure to follow. It was a darwin award in the making, staved off for another time.
Not to throw stones at the Y chromosome, but almost all of the darwin award stories are primarily men, doing manly things meeting their demise.
Yes, I know all about the shared genetic soup children inherit, it's just such a curious thing that typically men act upon whatever impulse it is to pick up a nail gun and improvise a game of nail gun tag.
Enjoy the beautiful weather, just don't do anything stupid unless of course you have someone substantiate the tale - then by all means, have at it.
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2 comments:
I laughed remembering my sons' similar stunts around that age.. scary & funny all in the same breath. Thanks for the book review I'll be sure to check it out.
I can think of more than a few locals who have pushed the envelope a bit too far, and ended up as darwin award winners. I like the rules of having someone substantiate the story.
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