Phrase of the Day and Riddle of the Week

“The platen glass is dirty”

Why do I feel like there is a deeper philosophical meaning behind this statement? Every time I go to make copies in the office, I am greeted by this phrase. It begs the question, why has no one cleaned the platen glass? Maybe it alludes to the reality of things which were once meant to be good, functional, and clean which have now become dirty and useless due to neglect or abuse. Is it an analogy for this sin stained world, which was once good and perfect, but which now can never be made clean apart from Divine intervention? Perhaps it is simply a testament to the tendency we have to coddle those imperfections in our personalities which hold us back from being all that we could be. Maybe the phrase is simply put their to mock us, and let us know that no matter how hard we try to clean something, it will inevitably become dirty again. But most telling, is the fact that no matter how many times I see that phrase flashing on the screen, I will never bother to clean the platen glass. Partly because I don’t feel it is my responsibility; mostly because I am too lazy. And then there is the cynical side of me that says even if I try cleaning the glass, the phrase probably still won’t go away. And so it will continue, until I become totally desensitized to the warning…

It’s time for my afternoon coffee.

Meanwhile, lurking by a stone in the mud
Two eyes looked to see
What I was, and then something spoke
And this is what it said to me…

Clothes of brass and hair of brown
Seldom need to breathe
Don't need no wings to fly
With a heart of stone
And a fear of fire and water
Who am I?
- Genesis