Gung Hay Fat Oink

When I was a Boy Scout I felt unequipped to obey the “official” Scout Law, which is to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. Even then, I figured eight out of 12 wasn’t all that bad and learned to live with both the admirable traits and my shortcomings thereof, while still giving token resistance to three and silence regarding the fourth. I think I understood, even then, it was all youthful brainwashing anyway and I must have somehow recognized this in my zealous (and hypocritical?) drive to earn as many merit badges as possible.

Oddly enough, this remembrance of things past was brought on by publicity surrounding the celebration of Chinese New Year today and learning we are now into The Year of the Pig. Being self-absorbed (it’s what blogging is all about, after all), I looked up my own sign and discovered I was born in The Year of The Rat and, more specifically to my actual birth date, The “Fire” Rat, whatever the hell that means. Anyway, according to my Chinese sign I am (I hope in the order of importance): creative, honest, generous, ambitious, quick-tempered and wasteful. Oh wow…I guess I wouldn’t have been a very good Boy Scout in China either.