The Green Mile: been there done that

June 22, 4:36 PMDC Media ExaminerJ.Quyen Nichols

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“How many years did you spend p*ssing on the toilet seat before someone told you to put it up before you started?”

There are things in life which just take a little practice. And when practice alone doesn’t cut it, a little friendly advice from someone who’s “been there, done that” will definitely do the trick. Some of these things can be pretty small and insignificant but at the other end of the spectrum are the kinds of things which can end up with more severe results.

Most of the laws which keep society in check are in fact a way of enforcing these standards of conduct, much like a friend who has actually been there and done that wrong enough to get society’s attention. The result: a long list of things you cannot do, in what circumstance you cannot do them, and the unfortunate results for anyone who dares do them.

There are laws for everything now. Driving laws are the pickiest, but they are without a doubt very important for ensuring the safety of us citizens- which is the basis for all laws. You can speed down an eight-lane divided highway all day and all night without getting in any kind of trouble. Much like how you can urinate on the toilet seat every single day without getting any on yourself. So, are you actually doing something wrong (or breaking the law) if no one is there to catch you? Beyond the whole idea of the law, there is something called doing something right (or being safe). Yeah, there really isn’t any real danger in using the bathroom with the toilet seat down (for the guys), but in the end it just gets really messy. As for speeding, you might not be getting in any trouble, at the moment, but sooner or later it can get really messy. This messy doesn’t meet some wet spots around the bathroom but rather a succession of court dates, fines, and community service hours- on the lucky side.

Some people just never learn. Those are the unlucky ones; the ones who refuse to listen. But why not listen? There’s some great advice being slung your way every day. Do this one way, do that another way. Pick your battles and pick the right advice that you think will lead you to become a better person. After all, that’s all anyone can ask for: to leave this world better than you came into it.

Note: This quote was taken from The Green Mile, a 1999 film written by Stephen King and directed by Frank Darabont. The film follows very closely to King’s original book which is something very rare in film adaptations of today. The movie has many famous faces including Tom Hanks, David Morse, and Bonnie Hunt. It was nominated for four Oscars along with a long list of other notable awards.