No longer politically correct, I know; this was something I mentioned once in a discussion in the advertising department back at EFI, an innovative learning systems company that made study tools and programs that were likely the forerunner of some of today’s software.
The discussion was about things we hadn’t seen in a while, or things that were rare. Bob Rushworth was the artist/designer there and a guy who was wonderfully funny and sacrilegious. He said the trio made a great story title. He was also a writer.
There’s a Waylon Jennings song that speaks of yoyos, bozos, bimbos and heros. Now there’s a crew to sing about.
How to we come up with groups, with catchy phrases that stay in our minds? Why did the trio that prompted this post recall another and another, and then float away from me?
The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology
Perhaps the mind resorts to triptychs, trilogies, trinities and their ilk because that seems like a complete yet spartan argument. Take away one, and we don’t have a leg to stand on (pun intended and required). But there’s something strong, clean and reliable in three.
The only question might be, *which* three.
Body, mind soul; father, son, holy spirit; reading, writing, ‘rithemetic; food, clothing, shelter; bacon, eggs, toast; mother, father, child… I think we are driven to trilogies, but why is a good question.
Or maybe I can’t remember any more than three things at once…
ooh!–name, rank, serial number; wash, rinse, repeat… I think I’ll make a game out of this!