Whimsy

There’s not enough whimsy in our lives.

The old background of The Hourly G kept us in good stead for all of four days—but then today, the pageview count was sliding; check the Stat Counter below, which lists the day’s traffic. The numbers dipped—so new background!—like a woman changes the color of her hair to cheer herself up on a bleak gray morning.

But really, the change wasn’t because the numbers were low—the change happened for no other reason than Why not?

Not enough is done for Why not? Too much is done for logical, sensible, structured reasons. But really, Why not? is the best reason to do something: To bring a change in color, to make a variation in a life. Still and static—what point is there to that? Happiness through stability? Pleasure from inertia?

Whimsy.

The cartoons that appear, the silly videos that are posted, the changes in background—all in the service of whimsy, the funny kid brother of curiosity.

I often think: The Cult of Stability is a culture of death. But whimsy makes us live.