Once in a while in life—not often, mind you, but every now and then—you just have to take a deep breath, close your eyes…..and dive into the deep end of the pool off the high board! Throw caution to the wind. Defy rationality. Veer off the safe, beaten path. Follow your gut instincts. Trust in your inner self. Cast aside your strict, oppressive budget. Close your eyes and plunge into the darkness. Above all else: BELIEVE in yourself with all your heart and all your soul! If all you ever do is chase after convention, then you are no better off and no more refined than any of the multitude of Holstein-Friesians that obsequiously follow the bell cow in from pasture every evening to be drained of their milk. But, trust me, you are better than those mindless, docile beasts! You’ve been blessed with a strong sense of free will; do not squander this empyreal gift by being afraid to take chances. Life is all about making choices, but if you allow society and others to blindly make all those choices for you, then you slavishly deserve the boring, pedestrian fate that invariably awaits.
Fred's Soapbox 