It’s true. I saw it with my own eyes. Curiosity did in fact kill the cat. You’ve probably seen it too on Youtube, or AFV, or some other link to some crazy video. People (cats, dogs, squirrels, or whatever) doing dumb things for the simple hope of finding out if it works.

Can I sled down my roof and bounce off the trampoline and then land in my aboveground pool? Well, I don’t know, but let me find out.

Do you really think I’ll get electrocuted if I stick scissors into the electrical outlet? Let’s see.

I bet I could drag a metal folding chair up there to the top of this here tree and pop me a squat on that branch. Bettcha can’t. Well, here I go.

These sorts of wonderings are misguided and froth with stupidity. So much so the thoughts of Natural Selection come to mind. Is it bad to be curious? Of course not, but when so much time and effort are put in by the American youth and others (I’m looking at you drunk people) to try such asinine stunts for the simple pleasure of filming it and hoping to have a viral video make them internet famous that the gift of curiosity becomes a curse.

That’s right, curiosity is a gift for the brain-using beings of this world. Without curiosity and taking a few chances so many discoveries would have never happened. So many inventions would still the dreams of those too scared to make them happen. I’m not denying that people have tried some pretty crazy things in hopes of realizing their visions. Wan Hu, a sixteenth century Chinese dreamer, tried to blast himself to the moon while sitting atop a chair strapped with fireworks. The fireworks blew up, but so did Wan Hu. Wan Hu didn’t try it because he thought it would make him famous, he took a chance for progress. He was trying to accomplish something big and important.

The list of men and women who have been risk-takers where success has followed them is long and they have help to steer progress into the future. Edison, Curie, Franklin, Carver, Einstein, and millions of others are to be congratulated and held in high esteem by us here in the internet generation.

In today’s world we apply the label of famous or star way to quickly. People make fools of themselves on television or on-line and we call them reality show stars only to watch them on Dancing with the Stars or Celebrity Rehab a season or two later. Why do people put themselves through that? What real satisfaction could there be in that star burning out so fast?

Come on people, do go ahead and dream and try new things, but have class, use your head and common sense, and push yourself to make your star shine brighter and last longer. See a need and do something about it. I can tell you that there is no need in allowing your friend to smack you in the face with a two by four. There is no need to fight in Wal-Mart. Be great and famous, not a joke and infamous. Be like Wan Hu and aim for the stars, only think it through a little more and don’t blow yourself up in the process.