Rule of Thumb

When I pay attention, I notice sometimes that life runs on the course of theme and variation. For example, a few years ago, everywhere I went, someone would tell me something about Thomas Mann. I still don't have the faintest who he is, however. The theme of this moment is the rule of thumb: in the last 2 weeks, I've had three different people tell me that it means the rule governing the thickness of the rod with which you may beat your wife.

To be fair, the three events were not completely self-arising, even though they were completely independent. That is, none of the three people knew each other, but I probably instigated the conversation with my own interest in wife-beating. The first person who mentioned the rule was at a domestic abuse seminar; and because that lesson was fresh in my head, I made a remark to the third person who mentioned the rule that I was foaming at the mouth reading various old sexist rape cases. But the second person who mentioned the rule was totally unrelated to the other two. She referred to it in a writing class, just as a figure of speech - "it's the rule of thumb, to use a horribly sexist expression."

Moreover, as evidenced by my continuing ignorance about Thomas Mann, it couldn't be the case that I myself control all the thematic strains that undulate through my life.