There's a Time and Place for Spontaneity

This morning I spent a good deal of time contemplating all the photos that have been taken of me this summer during moments of planned spontaneity. I'm speaking of those flash pictures that are snapped at the end of high speed turbulent roller coaster type thrill rides. When you come off the ride, you're supposed to pause and take a moment to look at just how silly you look as your life flashes before your eyes.
Okay - most people look properly thrilled, nauseated, or both, but there is another way to go. After the first ride, you become aware of the waiting camera and you can plan your response to the moment of peak surprise. It starts with a funny face, then evolves into a more elaborate production that can include amusing gestures or even props (if you can free yourself from the harness or restraint system that holds you in your seat).
There is a web site devoted to those daring and devious folks clever and coordinated enough to engineer momentary public nudity on Disneyland's "Splash Mountain." The page can be found under the hysterical title, "Flash Mountain." Having the presence of mind that will allow one to flaunt a little flesh while plummeting five stories (52.5 feet), down a 47-degree waterfall deserves some recognition, I suppose.
This got me to thinking about all the other places outside theme parks that offer such opportunities. The camera taking your photo at each ATM transaction is just one. What about all of those recently installed stop-light cameras? Somebody is looking at these pictures, why not give them a thrill, or at least a moment of heightened awareness? The "observer effect" (often referred to incorrectly as the Heisenberg Effect) refers to changes that the act of observing has on the phenomenon being observed. On a planet that promotes "reality television" and contains a "Real World" that is lit and wired for sound, what shred of our existence has any truth?
I suggest we embrace the surreal, observed world as our own, and manipulate it for our own purposes. If the NSA really is listening to our conversations, periodically conduct your phone calls in "Meow-Meow" language. While shopping, wave at those one-way mirrors. And most of all, smile for the camera.