It Is What It Is

"It is what it is."  One of my favorite go-to non-statements.   So highly philosophical.  So vague and yet reassuring.  According to some very sketchy research (mine), "It is what it is," was first uttered by Mr. Leo Schwartz, the first Jewish caveman, who came back home after a long day of hunting and gathering, to find his priceless rock collection gone. All those big rocks he'd schlepped into the cave by himself.  He'd planned to retire on those rocks.  How many backaches had come from lifting and dragging those rocks into the cave?  Plenty.  And this was before the birth of heating pads and Extra Strength Tylenol.  So, where did those rocks go?  A priceless rock collection doesn't just get up and leave on its own.  Leo looked at his rock-free cave, and sighed.  "It is what it is," he said.  Leo was screwed.  But he wasn't an idiot.  He wasn't about to track down the vicious gang of thieves that stole his beloved rocks.  Leo still had a few good years left in him.  He preferred to live those years in one piece.  Leo's wife Yetta wasn't quite as accepting.  "What the hell does 'it is what it is' mean?"  "It means I'll go out and get us more rocks."  The next day, Yetta filed for divorce.  I'm with Leo Schwartz. I couldn't have said it better myself.  Sometimes, we're just eff'd and there's nothing we can do about it. Things happen. Why?  Who knows? There's no explanation.  It is what it is. You can either go out and get more rocks, or drive yourself (and everyone around you) completely meshuggah.