• The Final Word – My Quarter

    I am a classic Libra.  The symbol for my zodiac is the scales.  In my life, it’s all about balance.  When I have to make decisions, I like to mull over my options.  Once I make a decision, it’s hard to get me to budge, but getting to that point can be almost painful.  I have literally burst into tears while shopping for sneakers because it was so hard to make a decision.

    Most non-Libras don’t understand how hard making decisions is for Libras.  I get overwhelmed if I have too many choices.  I had a friend declare that he would never go shopping with me again because it took me over an hour to pick out a ceiling fan.  The funny thing is that it’s usually the most arbitrary decisions that are the hardest for me like, “What do I want for lunch?”

    In the last few years, the quarter has become a lifesaver for me.  I carry a designated quarter in my purse, separate from my wallet, that is used solely for decision-making purposes.  I can usually get my options down to two choices, but then I make myself crazy trying to make a final decision.  My quarter is the final word in these cases.  I’m sure it looks silly when people see me flipping my quarter in restaurants and shopping malls, but it’s saved me a lot of mental anguish.   Whatever decision the quarter makes is what I go with.  My quarter has helped me order food, select which brand of contact lenses I’m going to use, and pick out my clothes in the morning.

    And I know that I’m not the only one who uses such an arbitrary system for making decisions.  According to Lowering the Bar, at least one company uses Rock-Paper-Scissors to make decisions when the voting members are deadlocked.  I was delightfully surprised when Judge Greg Presnell ordered the parties in Avista Management v. Wausau Underwriters to use Rock-Paper-Scissors to determine where to hold a deposition when the lawyers involved worked in the same building.  Whoever won the game got to decide where the deposition would be held.   Based on Lowering the Bar’s blog, it appears that the parties in this case had run to the courts for every minor issue and the court had had enough.  I was impressed by the decision.  It sounded like something I would do if I were a judge who was exasperated with opposing counsel.

    Photo from Flickr by ThenAndAgain.  (CC)

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