At least it was a tad bit warmer out this morning than these recent mornings, so now all we need is a good rain and warmer nights so our veggies will start taking off. As each day passes, I grow all the more concerned over there being an abnormally dry summer ahead. I’m already noticing the grass in some areas starting to turn brown.
My morning was pretty un-eventful other than placing a call to my dear friend whom I’d not spoken with in about a week, just to play catch-up on recent happenings. While on a given subject, I was reminded how our general public has turned apathetic towards things that don’t directly affect their lives, which I couldn’t help but agree, but my agreement certainly didn’t give any impression that it’s OK, and only because the inactive involvement in public affairs, just gives those evil-doers all the more license to continue taking what really doesn’t belong to them. Just so you know, I’ve always been of the mindset that if I hear my inner voice saying, “This is not right!”, then there’s no convincing me otherwise. Yes, I’m terribly thankful for having been able to maintain a standard which I’m finding to be much higher than the average person’s, which I find even more troubling.
Knowing I’ve been long overdue in getting my eyes examined, I placed a call to an eye clinic I’ve used in the past, and wouldn’t you know, they couldn’t get me in until the last week in August, and when asking what their eye examination costs are now, I just about fell off my chair when told they’re now $350.00, which caused and instant bristle, but of course I kept my mouth shut and tentatively scheduled an appointment.
Well, after checking around, I happened to find another eye clinic which I’d heard good things about over these recent years, so I gave them a call while bracing myself for another disappointment. To my delight, I found I could get in several months earlier, and the price of the examination was $200.00 cheaper. My gosh! What is going on with these prices for services? If I have a good experience at that clinic, I’ll certainly be spreading the word both online and amongst my clients and customers.
While out, I stopped at a paint store, just to pick up some interior wall color samples for a room I’ll be painting over at a project I’m working on. I’m vacillating back and forth between subdued and bold, and for whatever reason, I’m leaning toward the bold, but perhaps after I get a good sleep tonight, my mind will be changed.
Today just happened to be the day when in personal contact with several well knowns, I got up on my soapbox and started in again on some of the chronic ills within our Local and State governments. Because most people don’t pay close enough attention to what’s being printed and said within those departments, it usually gets overlooked, but unfortunately yours truly recognizes their misgivings, makes mental notes, and then starts connecting the dots.
Because most can’t relate to such things, I usually share personal stories which are relative to the subject, so today’s story was about those years when I was a supervisor in a department of a bank which dealt with computer accounting, clearings, and banking applications.
I was in various positions in that department for over 10 years, and once I rose to a supervisory rank, I immediately took the position of being completely void of showing favoritism towards any and all. Truth be told, there were some I personally liked, and others I could barely tolerate, but the proof in the pudding, was my being able to conceal my personal thoughts about them. Did it work? Absolutely, because when there was no partiality or favoritism shown, the workplace became exactly that, and not a place where some were allowed to slack-off, while others had to work harder to make up the difference.
After sharing my story with the both of them, I had to laugh when saying, “I didn’t know until years later that some of them considered me ‘little Hitler’, which I actually took as a compliment.” But the highest compliment I was given by several of them decades later, was telling my their time working under me in that department, was the best jobs they’d had, and only because there was no partiality or favoritism shown. Once the ‘newbies’ got to know my ways, it didn’t take long for them to realize that a cross look from me, was far more effective than a verbal chastising. One of them once said to me how much he couldn’t stand having me look him in the eyes because he believed I could see into his soul. Of course that wasn’t true in the least bit. Ok, maybe a little bit.
Once my storytelling was over, I jumped back to these times where we’re seeing nepotism and above all, cronyism on the rise, which is widely criticized as unfair and corrupt. I’m actually seeing it taking place right here in our City where department heads are buddying-up with their workers, and even to the point where they’re interacting during their off hours. Now tell me, doesn’t that make for added unrest and lower morale with the other employees? Getting back to my days at the bank, I absolutely forbid myself to have any social interaction with my subordinates, and only because that would’ve immediately created an illusion that someone was making inroads on my authority. Just give it some good hard thoughts about my words, and you’ll then come to an understanding. All I can say, is those who’re crossing borders in their workplaces, had better put a stop to it, or it’ll certainly come back to bite them harder than they would’ve ever imagined. There should never be any ‘golden’ boys or girls in any given department, but rather good work performers or bad. In my book, there’s absolutely no sucking up to the boss allowed. That’s it!
Tonight’s one-liner is: The more corrupt the government, the more numerous the laws.
