A day trip to the realms of possibility 
 

"Two tickets to Er... Possibility please."

"Would that be two adults or an adult and a software engineer?"

The driver looked my companion up and down and added,

"Not a software engineer are you?"

 "No! As if ....!" he replied.

He grinned widely and catching on that was a bit of gag, threw in a  "Well now that you mention.it ... Yeah. ... sort of."

"Aha you can't fool me.

Knew you weren't the moment you smiled without putting your head on one side. :) I've got to ask, you know ... company policy.

Mention H'mpossibility and software engineers go without food and personal hygiene for days till they've done the H'mpossible. Upsets the other passengers. "

 

"So this bus goes to Possibility and H'mpossibility, does it.

Same fare is it?"

"Yes, exactly the same.

H'mpossibilty is $10 dollars. Possibility ... $20."

 

I'm *glad* I'm not a bus driver. I figure being the straight man for this sit down comic is a small price to pay for the privilege.

"OK, how come they're the same and one costs twice as much?"

"Travelling to the land of Possibility is a return trip ... company possibility. Haw Haw Haw. Those who chose H'mpossibility get stuck there and ... ( he shivered slightly) ... it must be getting pretty crowded there 'cause the realms of H'mpossibility are shrinking every year.

 Just then the bus approached the traffic lights that had turned amber then red and then BLACK. I surmised the third lamp was missing.

"We just passed through Uncertainty." called out the driver cheerfully like it was an every day occurrence.

 "Do we pass through H'mpossibility?" I enquired.

"No ... Not usually. It can be done but there's a more direct route leading though the vast outer suburbs of Possibility. Much quicker."

 And added "You had better let me know how far you want go."

 

The largest Possibility is Logical Possibility.

Its pretty wild. Anything goes that isn't self contradictory.

 

Then there is Physical Possibility.

Its for those who have a fixation for _real_ estate.

 

Biological Possibility ... well that's pretty lively ... not so large but kind of special. After all, there's a few zillion more ways to be not alive than alive. Make the most of it.

Historical Possibility ... Now, that's real snobby. They keep dragging up the past. IMHO sometimes they need to get out into the fresh air, smell the coffee on the breeze. Have fun. That sort of thing.
The other Possibilities have much more scope."

 

Silence as the passed through some open spaces.

 

The driver started into another joke.

"Knock ..... who's there?"

"Knock, knock ... " I said, stumbling out of reverie.

 

"No. No. Opportunity knocks but once. Get it. Get it ... "

 

Then as if understanding his own joke for the first time, the driver said, "Bugger this for a living." Leapt out the driver's door and only looked back long enough to shout "You can drive your own bus now, darn you." and raced off to start something called PNL

or was it.....

Thanks,

Especially to Daniel C Dennett whose writings continue to inspire me.

 

More posts and stories

Return to our home page

 Or how about a Mind Snap

 
Quentin Grady     ^  ^  /
New Zealand,       >#,#< [
                    / \ /\    
"... and the blind dog was leading."