Backseat - From Where I Sit

July 2004

By: Michelle

I Sit Therefore I Am

We were recently in a bike shop with a friend. He spent a few minutes admiring each bike. One in particular caught his attention until he turned the price tag over. He started to walk away when a salesman came over and said, “Have a seat and see how it feels.” Suddenly the price tag didn’t seem as high as it did before he parked himself on the bike. He didn’t even have to leave the showroom and his imagination took over. That’s when I realized something the salesman had already figured out – contrary to the popular song lyrics “The head bone” is really connected to “the butt bone”.

You would think that someone whose nickname is "Sitting Mule” (don’t ask) would have already figured out that as soon as the backside hits the fabric an attitude sets in. But some things take a little longer to sink in than others. So I sat down and began to ponder all the implications of sitting:

Sitting defines who you are - Almost every home has a “Dad’s chair” and all the household members know not to violate this sacred space. In fact, most people have a chair in which they prefer to sit. There’s an entire industry built around the art of sitting. Billions of dollars are being made to build the perfect place to park your tushie.

Sitting permeates our language - Rich people are considered to be “sitting pretty”, people are encouraged to “sit up and take notice”, someone in charge is “in the driver’s seat”, good ole southern folk invite each other to “sit a spell” and motorcyclists who travel great distances in one sitting are honored with the title “Iron Butt”.

Location, location, location - Years ago I made the fatal mistake of accidentally sitting on my girlfriend’s 4 year old daughter’s chair at the dinner table. 20 years later, I still don’t think she has forgiven me. In every situation work, home or otherwise, the “head” of the table is reserved for the person of most importance.

Sitting is a sign of maturity (notice I didn’t say aging) - Kids can’t sit still. In fact, sitting in the corner is considered a punishment. I believe the defining line between childhood and adulthood occurs when we begin to value the rewards of plopping into a chair and doing nothing.

It all became clear to me last weekend on a family camping trip. As I walked around the campground I couldn’t help but notice there was a whole lot of sitting going on. It seems that when folks are away from the hustle and bustle of their everyday life, they want to spend time sitting – lots and lots of time just sitting. I say there is nothing wrong with that. It is everyone’s right as a human being to sit. Violating someone’s sitting place is wrong. Interrupting someone’s sitting time is wrong. Nothing will ever make me change my mind. Sitting Mule has spoken…

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