Age of distraction ~

People act like this age of distraction is new and has reached a level that is unheard of. But I've seen some things over the course of my life. 

I remember driving down the road on the interstate in the city of Atlanta and I looked over to my side because something caught my eye and the guy driving the vehicle alone beside me had a full -size newspaper unfolded with two pages leaning on his steering wheel while he steered and read the newspaper.

I slowed down and let him get on by me.

On a band trip I ended up riding in the camper with the band director and the drum major and while we were driving at 75 miles per hour down the road. The drum major and the driver swapped positions behind the driver's wheel while still going down the interstate. We did not slow down. They had set cruise control and this was in traffic in the middle lane of a three -lane interstate road.

I've seen multiple people using their phones while driving. I've used my phone while driving but that's more recent than the newspaper and the camper hot swap.

And there's always the parent reaching around to chastise a child. Or reposition a baby bottle. Or hold something while they're driving because it's slipping from the position that they had it in in the packed backseat.

And even worse is when a driver and a passenger are both riding down the road with their arms out the window holding something on the roof of the vehicle while they drove slowly. Soon, we'll have Google Glass wannabes driving down the road with augmented reality hovering in front of their eyes and making them twitch and swerve when there's nothing there, just so they can get a better view of some icon hovering in their little artificial world.

The bug-eyed privileged among us will teach us how to keep our distance without having the COVID virus or whatever the next disaster is that they'll try to force us to do things with.

Be careful out there, distracted people are everywhere. And with the litigiousness of our society, it'll almost always be your fault when they get hurt. The lawyers will make sure of that.

Be careful.

Getting off the bus ~

I recently retired from a career with the federal government. I worked for over 35 years in the air traffic control system, starting as a controller and then working my way through staff positions, traffic management/efficiency, evaluations, program/project management and implementation, and management positions at facily, regional, and national levels both in and out of the operation. I even got to do some software development along the way and helped develop and implement a nationwide information management system as well as a few local software tools for my facility.

I don't share this to brag, I'm sharing my accomplishments. But I left my career quietly. No trumpets and fanfare, just a quiet exit. It was like I was getting off of a really loud and raucous bus.

It's been so relaxing to unwind and decompress. But I still get twinges of what feels like guilt for not making a bigger deal about the end of my career.

I had several of my "guys" that retired while I was responsible for them. Most of them left the same way, telling me that they did NOT want any celebrations or parties, they just wanted to fade into the woodwork. Most of the other people were bothered by this and tried to do things, but I reminded them of what the retiring people's wishes and we kept it low-key.

I guess I saw that and wanted something similar, to just step from one existence into the promised existence without making a big deal of it. My wife and several others have thought it strange but have kept it low-key for me.

I do find it fascinating that only one of my managers texted me to congratulate me. The others were way too focused on getting better seats on the bus while it was moving. Or trying to tell the driver where to turn as soon as the bus got going again.

I feel so much more relaxed now. No threats from the union or other managers, no crises that make me think the world is going to end, just day-to-day living at my pace.

Thank you, God, for your blessings and fulfilled promises!

Early is on time ~

When I have an appointment or something happening at a specific time, I do my best to get there a few minutes early. For me, it's a sign of respect to get there early and be able to say hello or get in and sit quietly waiting and watching as people gather for whatever it is. It's also a time to keep things relaxed instead of being stressed and wound up tight as I rush to try to get there at the last minute.

I used to get there right at the last minute a lot. I prided myself on being able to time things so that I could overcome whatever obstacles jumped up unexpectedly and still get there just as something started. I was embarrassed a lot because I got there a couple of minutes late. I was very tense and the pressure that I put on myself was eventually too much.

As my kids went through high school they were in band. I think all of their band directors had a saying that being five minutes early is on time, and being on time is late.

This was especially true for high school kids, teenagers, because they would get there on time and then have to get their instruments out and have to talk and joke around and figure out where they needed to be and all that stuff.

So if everybody showed up at the appointed time, then 10 minutes later, practice still has not started. I know that some people will go ahead and schedule things with a buffer time, trying to allow for the people that show up late.

I stopped doing that because if you don't have enough respect for me to be on time, then I really don't want to wait for you.

Do your best to get there five minutes early so that you can show respect for the organizer and actually be comfortable as you ease your way into the event, whatever it might be.

Go for it!


#us