The woman Folly is loud; she is undisciplined and without knowledge. (Proverbs 9:13)

I have a perfect image of Folly -- fitting the descriptions of Proverbs chapter 9 to a tee -- when I think of the drunken British hooligans who come to Amsterdam for their soccer matches (they call them "football matches") and their bachelor parties (which they call "stag parties" for men and "hen parties" for women).  EasyJet must have very regular, very inexpensive flights between the UK and the NL, because these British tourists are an absolute icon in Amsterdam -- known and loathed by all Amsterdammers.  The Germans and Americans can be perceived this way, too, sometimes, but it's the British who take the cake.

And why?  Because they're so darn loud!

This is almost always the first adjective to be used by Amsterdammers describing the British tourists, tromping around the Dam, the Rokin, and the Red Light District.  You almost always hear them before you see them.  They're yelling at the top of their lungs, or they're singing loudly.  They laugh in loud guffaws, like some phony laugh track to a television sitcom.  They're obnoxious to begin with -- but put a few pints in them, and they're simply unbearable.  And in addition to being inexplicably loud, the drunken British hooligans also totally clueless.  They walk everywhere -- in herds of 6 to 10 -- and routinely find themselves lost and needing directions.  Or they need someone to read the map and the time-table at the tram stop for them (though a minute of quiet observation could probably be more than adequate to clear up any confusion).  They're easily identifiable by their clothing -- with the "football" hooligans all sporting bald heads and wearing "football" jerseys, and with the "stags" or "hens" all wearing ridiculous hats or T-shirts as they bumble through the city.  They're a regular circus, and they proudly broadcast their folly -- like lepers in old Jerusalem shouting, "Unclean!  Unclean!  Make way for a poor leper!" -- for all Amsterdammers to see, hear, and avoid.

This, to me, is a perfect picture of Folly -- and the kinds of scenes I'd like to avoid in my own life.  I don't want to be loud, undisciplined, and without knowledge.  I want to be cool, controlled, and savvy.  I want to be more like James Bond (who, let's make sure it's noted, is a different icon of British culture) than Jim Hooligan.  But I think it all starts with a mindset.  And a choice.  Wisdom and Folly both present themselves to us every day -- just like EasyJet flights to different destinations.  We can choose wisdom, or we can choose Folly.  What's it going to be for you today?