PALM

Has this ever happened to you? Someone who's been taking note approaches you and asks if you have "the hots" for so and so. If only because they spotted you in a conversation with said person 47 times in the past 2 weeks. It's the bane of singleness.

In an effort to bring about reform, a friend of mine recently started the PALM club. No, he wasn't looking for people to accompany him to the Bahamas, or even get his way paid for that matter. Instead, he was simply attempting to assemble a group consisting of: (and I quote) "People Against Lousy Matchmaking". No, I am not making this up. But I digress.

We all know how easy it is to come to erronious conclusions that are based solely upon circumstantial evidence. I know, I'm a repentant perpetrator of this myself. Let me outline the problem a bit more by describing a hypothetical scenario.

Guy A is discovered conversing with Girl B yet AGAIN, by Person C. Alone. Person C assumes that since this is the 47th consecutive converstion Guy A and Girl B have had in the last 2 weeks that must certainly mean that he is "putting the moves" on her. Option #1. It's either that, or they're on the same committee and were just having another meeting (or closing a real estate deal). Option #2. It could be that, but that's not NEARLY as exciting as Option #1.

So Person C lays awake at night considering the possibilities.

For hours.

After concluding that something with romantic overtones is up, Person C then casually mentions this possibility to Person D. When Person D demonstrates some skepticism by saying something like, "Yeah, yeah, they were probably just having a committee meeting. Or maybe they were closing a real estate deal. Ever thought about that?"

Nevertheless, Person C is undaunted, after all, who needs daunts? He/she then lays out the evidence to support his/her conclusion. This is important in the event that something actually DOES come about of this relationship. That he/she has a witness to give validity to his/her claim that he/she saw it coming for a long time already.

A prediction such as this is worth a lot of points, and in this game one must rack up many points to keep from falling into the loser's bracket. Unfortunately, there are no points deducted for false assumptions.

To which I say, "Lose the game already!" The paltry bit of smugness one feels over knowing stuff before anyone else is not worth the risk of starting a rumor that is rumored to be quite possibly true. Maybe.

As Scripture states, "For he does not know what will happen; so who can tell him when it will occur?" (Eccl. 8:7) And again, ". . . If a tree falls to the south, or to the north, in whatever place it comes down, there it lies." (Eccl. 11:3) What do these verses have to do with the subject at hand? Easy, they basically say, "It's not over until the extremely gravitationally enhanced female sings," (to borrow the colloquialism).

Or don't jump to conclusions.

So remember this the next time you spot Guy A conversing with Girl B for the 47th time in the last 2 weeks. They're probably just having a committee meeting. (Or closing a real estate deal.)

Maybe.

But then again . . . maybe not.