Last week’s post got me thinking. Despite what teeny bopper movies will have you believe coolness is very Yoda-esk.  When it comes to being cool, you either do or do not. Trying lands you firmly in the NOT category.

As with being, so goes everything else. If asked in an honest moment most people would recognize the relative coolness of an action, event, or object. Sure, they might try to grift you into believing something is or isn’t cool, but even while they are doing so, deep down the truth is known.

Actions are the easiest to assess. Cheating in any form isn’t cool. Neither is being mean.

Events and objects are harder of course because in some cases their coolness is temporary. Sock hops were cool, then it was break dance battles, now, well I have no idea. The trick is not to get caught up in the specifics. Dancing: wildly with friends, slowly with special someone, or alone Footloose style (be it in a barn or in a bug) is always cool.

Objects are tougher to categorize. Fads aren’t. Sorry, skinny jeans. Take comfort in knowing your place in obscurity is shared with everything from Cabbage Patch Kids to fidget spinners.  Cool is timeless and personal. See broken in blue jeans, your father’s watch.

As for the coolness of people…well, if you’re asking, chances are you’re S.O.L. But don’t worry, you’re not alone and dorks make good company.

As for me, I’m the type of guy who would walk into a phone booth and turn into Clark Kent. My secret identity is nerd, normal, nothing to see here, folks. And the trouble is, it’s not a secret.

But here’s the dilemma, being a Kent officially makes me a non-cool, beta-male. But not giving a shit, well that keeps the jury out of the sun and in eternal deliberations which, ironically enough, is very cool.

We’ve all had someone drop a turd in our Zen Garden.  Laugh it up with these books or give the gift of off-beat humor to that special sarcastic someone.