Sunday, July 26, 2009

TSTL - Really?

This post got me thinking and laughing.

What some people consider actions that make a person Too Stupid To Live can actually be some of my daily rituals.

So. Let's share shall we?

1. I have seen it too often said that a heroine without a cell phone in this day and age is TSTL.

I'm a 38 year old woman who can jump start a car, change a tire (if forced to at gun point), and in general find my way to a gas station without any help thank you very much. I also own a cell phone. I don't however, carry it on my person cause seriously, it's just one more thing I have to remember to pick up on the way out the door.

Oh! But now I have a purse so I can carry it always. Only there isn't a permanent plug on my person so it's dead almost every moment of each day.

That said, you come up on me in the middle of the night on some dark road with my car broken down, you better believe I'm carrying a big ass crow bar.

2. Hearing a noise in the basement and knowing there is a killer on the loose and you go down those stairs.

There have only been a few times where a 'killer' has been on the loose and that is usually well televised and I've always had dogs so figured no one would even try. Still, I'll go down those stairs to prove to myself there is nothing to worry about. And yes, there is a baseball bat in an easy to reach place in the house. (I'm not sure how I would react without dogs now. Hopefully I won't be puppy-less forever)

Oh! and I always get mad at movies where the people walk around in their house in the dark - just turn on a friggin' light! It was something of a mind hit the other night when I realized I walk around in the pitch black all the time. Now, I do hit the lights the minute I get in the front door. After that, darkness happens.

3. Heroine out in snow storm in her car.

I'll drive in anything. I'm so not afraid of snow, water, winds. Don't bother me in the least. And yes, I'll be the only person on the road and you better believe I'm heading out to get french fries when the going gets blasted.

I'm also a person who will get out of her car to help someone push their vehicle off the road, or to offer her cellphone (if it's not dead), and one time I got out of my car at a light to help an elderly couple cross the road to catch their bus (they couldn't figure out the walk light & were starting to panic). Sure the light had turned green my way and other people wanted me to move but screw off, I'm helping people here!

That said, I live in a town/city so I wouldn't pull any of this stuff in the country. Although I have driven through a snow storm on unplowed country roads for an hour without flinching once. I thought my mother was going to throw up (she had an accident in the snow) and she was floored that I was so relaxed. (My father took me out when I had my permit and had me do donuts in a snow storm in the back parking lot of a grocery store - once you learn how a car will move in most situations the fear is gone)

So this just covers a few things. The number of times I've almost killed myself because I didn't think something through is probably greater than a cat's number of lives.

Have you ever taken a knife to something not realizing it's actually pointing straight at you? I've almost stabbed myself in the stomach a few times. And I'm careful with knives cause they scare the crap out of me!

Almost broke my leg with a sledge hammer. Once again, didn't think it through.

In demo mode I didn't realize I was hammering towards my head until the damn hammer skipped off the wood and hit me in the noggin. Bob was not pleased.

So 'stupid' happens.

Now, if I got a call from some gravelly voiced serial killer telling me to meet them or else, I'd go with the 'or else'.

I'm just saying, just because 'stupid' happens doesn't mean I happen to be 'stupid'.

6 comments:

Mary G said...

Hey Cindy
What a brilliant post!!. I love it.
In your case TSTL is Too Smart To Lose.

nath said...

LOL, great post indeed Cindy :)

I think that sometimes, it's not just that the heroine does stupid things, but it's so intentional that it's frustrating.

Kat said...

"I'm just saying, just because 'stupid' happens doesn't mean I happen to be 'stupid'." Please, may I use this a tagline for a blog? Not sure what it'll be about, but I'll think of something. *g*

To add to nath's comment, I think what frustrates me is when a character does a stupid thing and doesn't even realise how stupid they've been. For example--and see how much I love you, I've come up with the perfect one--in Fire & Ice Jilly does some stupid things (including the big one that gets them into big trouble) but she think to herself, Gosh, that was dumb. Or she knows what she's about to do is idiotic, but she does it anyway because she can't take Reno's crap anymore. She chose to be stupid. This makes a difference to me!

~ames~ said...

Cute post Cindy. I know we've all done things that were not the smartest. LOL But us Canadian girls can handle snow no problem! Pshaw.

CindyS said...

Mary - You're my new best friend ;)

Nath - ah yes, intentional stupid - the ones who run from their body guards and stuff. Yeah, that there be dumb.

Kat - Have at it!

Ah yes, the not understanding that you are doing something that will put you in danger. Or those heroines who think they can take care of themselves against the group of ninjas stalking them. Or the ones who own guns but refuse to touch them (I'm thinking Evanovich's heroine here)

Ames - yes indeed, snow is not scary. It's usually the jacknut coming towards you that is the scary part!

CindyS

nath said...

LOL, i agree with Ames about the snow! :) Snow and rain, we're good :)