I Always Feel like Somebody's Watching Me

How different would your life be if someone were constantly standing in front of you? They weren't saying anything. They were just watching your every move, silently judging.

My guess is that your day-to-day existence would not only be very different; it would lack any semblance of pleasure.

Horrifying novels have been written about governmental big brothers overseeing our every action; yet religious people are extremely comfortable in being watched constantly by a higher power that rules dictatorially! If you've ever read the Bible, you know that god handed out some pretty harsh punishments. And Biblical "criminals" had absolutely no right to an appeals court. Had the Ninth Circuit existed back in the day, perhaps Lot's wife would have hired attorneys so adroit at wordplay that the pillar of salt punishment would have been reduced to community service.

Policies the U.S. Government would be overthrown for implementing are praised when god is in charge.

"Watch and judge our every action and then punish us accordingly should we not behave admirably all day, every day."

I can't imagine the pressure you poor people are under. You're constantly being judged by a perfect deity that never takes his eyes off your person, or his, whatever he uses to read your mind, off your thought-waves.

But, when alone, do you behave as if a noticeable physical presence is actually in the room with you?

My guess is that you don't.

And because you relax while in solitude, does that mean you doubt the very existence of a higher power?

Even if every human being, who witnessed your strange, yet non-criminal, behavior, decided you should be harshly judged, would it really matter? According to you, they lack the power to allocate one-way tickets to hell.

And even if your private behavior fails to reach hell-worthy status; wouldn't god be the one being you'd want to impress? Wouldn't you spend your days staring into space, desperately attempting to keep out thoughts of dirty acts you'd like to perform on that flight attendant who worked the redeye you took from Logan to DFW - had you been lucky enough to convince her to join you in a sleazy motel room...? Things Don Draper likely does to his Mad Men mistresses, yet AMC is unable to lawfully depict?

So, if you're so certain god is watching your every move, I seriously doubt you'd do the things you've been doing while in the presence of no one. And I'm not even talking about things that would shame your family were they revealed to the world. I'm simply referring to actions you're too polite to carry out while in the presence of others.

I suppose I can only speak for myself, but I know that, when alone, I occasionally act in ways even Courtney Love would deem, "unladylike."

If religious folks are correct and he exists, just ask god.

Or my cat.

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