About “This page intentionally left blank”

Some of you may have already experienced this, but for some reason it really bugs me. I got one of those insurance packages the other day from a large insurance company which will remain nameless. It included 12 sheets of paper. I began to read the policy and everything was proceeding nicely until I ran across the page that said (and for those of you who may not have experienced this, I am not making this up) “This page left blank intentionally”

Now insurance papers are confusing to me anyway but this really got to me. Several thoughts immediately came to mind. First of all, it distracted me just when I thought I was starting to understand the insurance terminology. Of course there is the fact that I sometimes get distracted by shiny objects lying on the ground, but this is different. Secondly, this is a big insurance company and this would waste enough paper to wipe out a rain forest in Tasmania, and weasels and Tasmanian Devils would no longer have a place to hide. Not to mention, if all the trees were gone, then for sure you wouldn’t be able to check out my “If a tree fell in the forest theory” which I will most likely cover at a later date.

Next problem and the most puzzling part to me is this: If there is writing on the page, then the page is not actually blank…. And it doesn’t take Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys to figure out that they wrote on the page intentionally! Or did they?

Now they could have said “The following page is left blank intentionally” or on the following page they could have said that “The previous page was left blank intentionally.” It is so confusing that what’s left of my brain is starting to hurt. Wait, now by jove I think I have got it, the answer is….oh, oh what is that shiny object on the floor………?

I leave you with this thought for the day. If the government gave a grant for the study of stupidity, shouldn’t they just keep the money?