I’ve been closely watching this on going situation with air traffic controllers allegedly falling asleep on the job. In a day of legalized power drinks and concentrated powders and over caffeinated coffee, a hardworking deeply dedicated employee is busted for swiping a wink in Washington DC and now a short list of others have publically admitted doing the same.
According to the decision maker’s that created the workload and high expectations, “There’s no need to be irritated or filled with fear; no plane was ever in danger.”
Kind of like the Japanese government immediately expressing to the world, “Our nuclear power plant crisis isn’t as dangerous as one might assume.” Yet last week they upped the levels of radiation in the air and sea to Chernobyl and quite possibly beyond.
When you break it all down we’ve endured two different types of earthquakes; manmade versus nature delivered. Both were highly possible but the dates of their destruction could never be predicted.
Manmade: The world economy has cracked the surface of every company forcing managers to lock down and cut back to the brink of near failure. Through thin shreds of hope kissing fate some progress is made which is quickly turned upside down with out of control gas prices, skyrocketing food costs and a housing market that refuses sprout spring time leaves on the assumed living tree.
My good friend Brad’s trucking company hasn’t taken a hit, “The higher fuel prices go the more I charge the person needing me to haul their stuff. The only difference I face is getting companies to pay me quicker so I can put the liquid in the trucks.”
Another friend fought hard to keep the tears from strolling down their face when they shared the story about pleading with department heads to hire one more person to help achieve what the company president was demanding. The reply, “Who do you want me to fire?”
Every business has endured the effects of the manmade earthquake and how it continues to rock not only a nation but nearly every village that requires our tax dollars to keep their worldly place in history moving forward. Air traffic controllers falling asleep while fast moving metal objects zoom by is nothing than an aftershock and who takes that serious?
Japan just had a 7.0 aftershock and news crews hoisted their sails in the sands near the predicted tsunami that never came. Once time dissolved the picture into the pages of once upon a time; the nuclear crisis became something you’d have to Google to get an update.
They say a powerful earthquake is building off the shores of California; what do you think will hit first…nature delivered or manmade and if it’s been created by overworked, underpaid, no longer respected and badly mistreated employees does it truly fall under the category of manquake or because its still part of the banking crisis and housing implosion do the actions and reactions that have caused an increase in heart attacks, strokes, cancer, panic attacks and homelessness become nothing more than totally ignored aftershocks?
I swear this is going someplace positive!
Two nights ago I was invited to a very special fund raiser required by the current conditions of a nearly broke local, state and national government to keep the homeless fed, warm in bed and somewhat inspired to want to reach outside the circles they dance in. Two events unfurled that opened my eyes and heart to the chapters of a book the world has elected to put in a box headed to the dump…
A Heinz 57 made from everything black dog ran in front of me on the street. I moved quickly to get off the road and put my life on the line in traffic to convince the four legged fuzzy that being where he stood was more dangerous then sipping the water off the shores of Japan. I got within five feet of his weathered matted face before he darted back out into traffic. I screamed like a little girl! I thought I had just killed a living breathing creation.
Thousands of cars passing at unrecognized speeds and I was the only one who elected to save the dog. The homeless are no different. While standing in the corner almost behind a tree inside a beautifully designed art gallery a passerby walks up and gently whispers, “So this is what the rich look like.”
I didn’t see fashion designed magazine styles or hair perfectly waved with scents of perfume that invited fantasy to dine in far away places…nor did I find reason to chase the dreams connected to striped golf shirts with high collars and watches that resembled brilliant pieces found in expensive jewelry stores. If this truly was the rich…what’s happened to our country?
I swear this is going someplace positive!
Substance versus symbol…
When trophies and pats on the back no longer lift the weight of your day off your tired shoulders yet somehow someway you’ve achieved excellence. A Native American Chief isn’t the greatest most decorated warrior; he is the most giving. Life moves through them.
What if you stopped stopping and allowed the wind to cruise through one ear and right out the other. Open your mouth and let it float through your body then out your butt. We spend so much time pushing people, places and things away that lost becomes our truest desire therefore adding to the pressure of the unpredictable manquake.
I don’t know the secret of distressing. Nor do I want the pills that’ll make things easier. What I’ve noticed though is this crazy ass sheet of metal every person holds in the center of their world…the very moment someone comes near it quickly shoots over your heart forcing you to become the actor on a stage that doesn’t exist.
I have fallen witness to more people looking away like tortured pets from conversations than physically giving the world the windows to their soul.
Let the wind sink into the corners drying what you feel like doing before it arrives. We aren’t beat up old dogs whose human stick figures tossed us out before realizing the realities of survival. We are the seeds planted by the people before us who had visions of this being the greatest nation in the world.
The black dog that ran out in front of me on Saturday might have had enough and felt his only choice was to create a reason to stop. Along comes a weird radio disc jockey and totally takes out the path of intention.
Hold not the metal plate guaranteed to protect…it invites rust which eventually breaks everything down to dust leaving you with nothing.
I will always believe in you first…
arroecollins@clearchannel.com
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