The Government Is Keeping Track Of You

We all know one of the most famous cases of paranoia is to think the government is out to get you. As though they haven't got anything better to do!

I would make the argument that paranoia like that is usually a personal problem. The person has something seriously wrong in the head, and for all we know probably hears voices and has imaginary friends. They seldom check themselves in, feeling that their personal delusions are objective reality, so what we really know about them is more or less limited to guesswork. That's not to say we can't make very educated guesses, since we have some actual casework, in addition to ourselves suffering the same affliction.

But really, if you think about it, how hard is it to believe that there is what we might call an exoteric and an esoteric government, or those aspects of the same government? Who hasn't heard of secret agents, double agents, and stool pigeons? There's no way those of us on the outside can guess the full extent of the government and what they're up to. Certainly the mind suggests that something's going on that is above and beyond what is commonly reported.

A guy doesn't have to be crazy to realize that the government has secret installations all over the place. I'm thinking of an article I saw somewhere recently about the places where the government would meet if there was a nuclear attack. They have places for the Congress and the President, and there's even a swimming pool for recreation. In addition, everyone has his own personal bunk and enough good amenities that we can't be too sure they wouldn't provoke a major attack just to live there.

It's serious business. But of course having a place to go in the event of an attack is far different from the irrational fears of the average guy thinking the government is keeping track of him. Although, honestly, can we be too sure? Why wouldn't they be checking up on the average guy? It stands to reason they wouldn't leave anything to chance.

My basic opinion is it pays to be vigilant. Like today, I was out and about around town. And I couldn't get rid of the sneaky feeling that I wasn't alone, if you know what I mean. It's that creepy feeling you get when you starting thinking there's cameras is in the bushes, an agent on the roof, and that everything around you is bugged.

I was at the library, which is a hotbed for this kind of activity. Because anyone going for real information is going to keep track of what you're looking at at the library. You have to be pretty naive if you think your trips to the library aren't monitored. I know I felt it right away. I walked in the door and the first thing I saw was a "librarian" picking up the phone. It couldn't have been more blatant.

Still, I thought, I'm not doing anything wrong, yet, so I didn't flee. I went in and took my seat and tried to gauge my surroundings. They have a row of tables up the aisle, and, conveniently, all the tables had one person at them except for one empty table. I say conveniently because of course that's going to be the table I'm going to sit at. Anyone could predict that. Giving them plenty of time to arrange the cameras and recorders. I had to smile when an cast of extras occasionally walked by like they didn't see me.

I sat for a while, trying not to look too suspicious. Then I tested the whole system by getting up and going over to look at the theology books. There just happened to be someone, a woman, who needed to squeeze behind me. I almost said, "Why don't you just ask me what I'm looking for?" But I played it cool and pulled in my butt so she could pass. One thing I didn't do was make eye contact -- I contend I wasn't doing anything to feel guilty about. And even now, in hindsight, I still feel that's basically true.

Anyway, I didn't get anything but returned empty-handed to my seat. How strange, but I thought I'd cross them up a bit -- heh heh. I sat for about 38 seconds then immediately went back to the same stack. The woman was long gone, probably in the dressing room or being debriefed in the backroom. This time I saw just the book I wanted, somehow put there, by an author I first heard of approximately 21 years ago. I hadn't heard of this particular book before but this was an author I respect, so I picked it up.

Getting back to the table with it, I looked at my stuff, my jacket and a couple of books I brought with me. They seemed to be undisturbed, but I started thinking, Wasn't this on the left side before? Now it was on the right. And my jacket, Did I really bunch it up and leave the pockets inside out? That was a new one on me, since I'm generally quite fastidious about my clothes.

It went on like that, "librarians" who were going out of their way not to make eye contact. And something else, something weird, they had this one extra -- and this is absolutely true -- he must have walked by my table 25 times! He always turned at the exact same place, apparently went around a table, then walked back by me the other direction. I didn't mind it so much -- even secret agents need to get their exercise -- except when he was nearest my table, at which time I covered with my hand what I was writing, which was the rough draft of this very post! (If you're reading this, a hint, you might at least try a costume change every 10 trips or so!)

After a while, I needed to get out of there. I was going to check out the book I mentioned. But just to throw these bastards off the trail -- even though I know they'll get this detail when I post this -- I picked up several other books at random to check out. The titles included one about vampires, a subject I absolutely hate, but I thought I'd just mess with their heads. If they're trying to fill in a puzzle about me, that would throw them!

And that was just inside the library. Once I got outside, good grief, it was a real production! It would have been fun to be behind the scenes and see them sending out all these agents one by one, the big boss standing there with a stopwatch. A guy limping went by my car. Another guy going by slowly on a bike magically appeared after him. It was a rich assortment of characters, no two quite alike. I even looked over and saw a tiny orange utility flag fluttering in the wind, probably something to mark the coordinates for a camera. Funny, I didn't notice that going in!

I know, this sounds like there's no escape. But there could be. Just going by what we see on TV, the government seems incompetent enough. So there's every likelihood that you could disappear in the woods, at least briefly. But if you're like me, you'll want a good cover story for why you were there. And if you say something like you had to take a pee, you better have peed, because that's easy enough for them to check.