One of greatest legacies of the Roman Empire is the Julian Calendar (named of course for that most famous Ceasar), with its division of the year into eleven months of either thirty or thirty-one days, and one month of twenty-eight days. The short month, our February, consisted of twenty-NINE days every four years. But why add another day every four years? The Julian Calendar, while fairly accurate, falls a few minutres behind the solar calendar every year. Not a big deal, unless a few centuries pass. Then ten minutes here or eleven minutes there becomes several days. Over an even longer period of time, as the Julian Calendar falls days or weeks behind, we would eventually experience winter in the middle of July. Just imagine going to Schlitterbohn while snow falls and ice begins jamming the Comal River. It would make "tubing" a terrible ordeal.
But don't worry, my fellow lovers of summer; we were saved from such an awful fate several hundred years ago by Pope Gregory XIII. The good Pope realized that the Julian Calendar was accurate enough as far as it went. It just did not go far enough. You see, the Romans were right in adding a Leap Day, but, as I noted earlier, even with the Leap Day added every four years, the Julian Calendar cotinued to fall behind the solar calendar. By the time Ugo Boncompagni was elected to the Papal Office and assumed the name Gregory XIII, the Julian Calendar had fallen ten days out of sync with other calendars in use in Europe and Asia. To correct this inaccuracy Pope Gregory XIII ordered that the date be changed throughout the Catholic empire, and advanced ten days. But Pope Gregory also decreed that there would be no Leap Year in century opening years that were divisible by one hundred. Thus the "Gregorian Calendar" was created and eventually became the official calendar for most of the world. Obviously some segments of the world population did not adopt the Gregorian Calendar. Muslims, Hebrews, as well as many "uncivilized" societies, continued to use their own calendars or other means of reckoning the changing seasons.
So we see that if it were not for that somewhat nutty invention we call Leap Year, we might be heading to Angel Fire or Cloudcroft in the middle of July to get in some good skiing time. Maybe you know someone who was born on February 29th. That person never gets tired of reminding you that while you are fifty going on sixty-three, he or she, on the other hand, is only twelve and a half years old. Of course children born on Leap Day do not appreciate a birthday party only once every four years. Most parents of such children elect to let the child pick another day to on which to celebrate his birth and get a whole new year's supply of toys.
Now that I have entertained you with several factoids concerning Leap Year and Leap Day, I would like to invite you to read tomorrow's installment of my blog as I write about Leap Day - Part Two. I will make a humorous, yet semi-serious, suggestion as to what would constitute a great use for a day of celebration that only comes round every four years. Until then, take care and have a great Leap Year's Leap Day!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
A Little "Hometown" Wisdom
One of my little pleasures in my spare time is reading my hometown newspaper. It is one of those twice-weekly papers, and the "news" is actually several days old when it appears in the paper. But that is not the point of these "hometown" papers, anyway. Unlike the "big" newspapers that must compete for your business by publishing the most shocking news possible, the hometown papers publish items like "Quilting Circle to Meet at Mrs. Smith's House Tuesday," or "News from Mound" (for those who don't know, Mound is small community outside of Gatesville, Texas, and is located just above "the Flat" and not too far away from "the Grove."). "News" like this would never see the light of day in the New York Times, or even the Waco Tribune-Herald.
Another quaint touch one finds in the old hometown paper are little tidbits of wisdom that somehow work their way each issue. The Gatesville Messenger, for instance, each week features a question from a reader. The question is answered by the appropriate local official, such as the chief of police or the city manager. Just the other day one such question was directed at the county judge. The reader asked who was responsible for cleaning up trash along county roads, and why was there such a "plague" of litter along the roadways? The county judge provided the appropriate answer, but perhaps did not realize how very profound his answer was, given the current situation in which we, as a nation, find ourselves. The judge said simply, "The "plague" is caused by people illegally discarding trash (emphasis mine). Government can never be big enough to solve all the problems (emphasis mine again), and individuals need to take responsibility for doing what's right."
As I read that judge's answer I was again struck by the simple profoundness of his statement, and the way we as a nation, and in particular, our national politicians, have strayed away from these ideals. You see, at the local level our politicians know that local government cannot be "big enough" to solve all the problems in a community, a city, a county, or even a state. At the local level, our politicians know that they are responsible to the people for their actions. City and county officials know that they have to live within their respective budgets. They know that they must represent the people or they will soon be out of office.
At the national level, it seems to be a different story. Many times we, the People, expect "the Government" to be so strong, so powerful, that it can solve every problem known to mankind. We forget sometimes that no government - local or federal - can ever provide complete and total security, total health care, total happiness, or total fulfillment of our dreams. No government can protect or please every one of us at all times. Governments, whether democratic or totalitarian, cannot "solve" every problem that we have, every crisis facing humanity. But governments, when allowed to by the people, can become so large and cumbersome that they take billions of dollars to operate, and intrude in so many aspects of our lives. Government agencies, many created with the best of intentions, seem to feed on themselves, costing ever more to run, demanding ever more power, and going so far beyond their original scope of purpose. These agencies, over the years, become the controllers of the people, instead of the other way around.
I think back to the words of the judge of that rural county, and the wisdom, the profoundness, of his straightforward answer. He said no government can be big enough to solve our problems. What better proof of his statement than our own federal government. The government envisaged by its founders was to be a limited government under the strict control of the people, and brought into existence ONLY TO BENEFIT THE PEOPLE, not to dominate every aspect of our lives, while literally draining our lives from us. You see, money is simply a way of saving the results of our work. We work a full day, we make a full wage. And it is only proper to use part of that wage to support our government at all levels. But that very government has grown to monstrous proportions, with power beyond our control, demanding our lives in the form of taxes on our wages. Now we work an average of three months to pay taxes, and only get to keep the remaining nine months' wages for our own. And our federal government constantly demands more, constantly grows, and seems to be out of control.
Remember the words of that county judge? No government can be big enough to solve our problems. In fact, just the opposite is true. The federal government has grown so large and out of control that it IS our problem. It seems that all our efforts to rein in the federal government have failed. New agencies are constantly created. Existing agencies demand AND RECEIVE more power. The president himself circumvents constitutional checks and balances by means of the infamous "executive order." Our government, with each administration, presents the "largest federal budget in history." At the same time, every administration creates larger and larger debt. Giant government, oppressive budgets, and yet we still have so many problems that never get "solved," and in fact seem to get worse each passing day.
Now the time again draws near for another national election. I am not here to tell you how to vote, other than the urge you to study those candidates that you favor and find out how they really stack up on all the issues that concern you. I urge you to continue to demand accountability and fiscal responsibility from your local politicians. More importantly, I urge you to demand the same kind of accountability from your national representatives and your president. I urge you to actually READ the United States Constitution someday, and to understand not only your "rights," but also to understand how our government is supposed to work. Above all I urge you to understand that the government is supposed to be, was intended to be, our servant, NOT OUR MASTER. Finally I urge us all to understand and grasp that, just as we are responsible for not littering or illegally dumping trash, we are also responsible for demanding accountability from our government, including our federal government. We will soon be electing a president and our national representatives. There is no better time than now to begin the process of turning out those politicians, including even the president, who are not truly representing us, and who are sending this nation down the long road of decline and mediocrity that we seem to be traveling at the moment. Let the upcoming election mark the day that we, the People, once again became the master of our government, and not its slaves.
Another quaint touch one finds in the old hometown paper are little tidbits of wisdom that somehow work their way each issue. The Gatesville Messenger, for instance, each week features a question from a reader. The question is answered by the appropriate local official, such as the chief of police or the city manager. Just the other day one such question was directed at the county judge. The reader asked who was responsible for cleaning up trash along county roads, and why was there such a "plague" of litter along the roadways? The county judge provided the appropriate answer, but perhaps did not realize how very profound his answer was, given the current situation in which we, as a nation, find ourselves. The judge said simply, "The "plague" is caused by people illegally discarding trash (emphasis mine). Government can never be big enough to solve all the problems (emphasis mine again), and individuals need to take responsibility for doing what's right."
As I read that judge's answer I was again struck by the simple profoundness of his statement, and the way we as a nation, and in particular, our national politicians, have strayed away from these ideals. You see, at the local level our politicians know that local government cannot be "big enough" to solve all the problems in a community, a city, a county, or even a state. At the local level, our politicians know that they are responsible to the people for their actions. City and county officials know that they have to live within their respective budgets. They know that they must represent the people or they will soon be out of office.
At the national level, it seems to be a different story. Many times we, the People, expect "the Government" to be so strong, so powerful, that it can solve every problem known to mankind. We forget sometimes that no government - local or federal - can ever provide complete and total security, total health care, total happiness, or total fulfillment of our dreams. No government can protect or please every one of us at all times. Governments, whether democratic or totalitarian, cannot "solve" every problem that we have, every crisis facing humanity. But governments, when allowed to by the people, can become so large and cumbersome that they take billions of dollars to operate, and intrude in so many aspects of our lives. Government agencies, many created with the best of intentions, seem to feed on themselves, costing ever more to run, demanding ever more power, and going so far beyond their original scope of purpose. These agencies, over the years, become the controllers of the people, instead of the other way around.
I think back to the words of the judge of that rural county, and the wisdom, the profoundness, of his straightforward answer. He said no government can be big enough to solve our problems. What better proof of his statement than our own federal government. The government envisaged by its founders was to be a limited government under the strict control of the people, and brought into existence ONLY TO BENEFIT THE PEOPLE, not to dominate every aspect of our lives, while literally draining our lives from us. You see, money is simply a way of saving the results of our work. We work a full day, we make a full wage. And it is only proper to use part of that wage to support our government at all levels. But that very government has grown to monstrous proportions, with power beyond our control, demanding our lives in the form of taxes on our wages. Now we work an average of three months to pay taxes, and only get to keep the remaining nine months' wages for our own. And our federal government constantly demands more, constantly grows, and seems to be out of control.
Remember the words of that county judge? No government can be big enough to solve our problems. In fact, just the opposite is true. The federal government has grown so large and out of control that it IS our problem. It seems that all our efforts to rein in the federal government have failed. New agencies are constantly created. Existing agencies demand AND RECEIVE more power. The president himself circumvents constitutional checks and balances by means of the infamous "executive order." Our government, with each administration, presents the "largest federal budget in history." At the same time, every administration creates larger and larger debt. Giant government, oppressive budgets, and yet we still have so many problems that never get "solved," and in fact seem to get worse each passing day.
Now the time again draws near for another national election. I am not here to tell you how to vote, other than the urge you to study those candidates that you favor and find out how they really stack up on all the issues that concern you. I urge you to continue to demand accountability and fiscal responsibility from your local politicians. More importantly, I urge you to demand the same kind of accountability from your national representatives and your president. I urge you to actually READ the United States Constitution someday, and to understand not only your "rights," but also to understand how our government is supposed to work. Above all I urge you to understand that the government is supposed to be, was intended to be, our servant, NOT OUR MASTER. Finally I urge us all to understand and grasp that, just as we are responsible for not littering or illegally dumping trash, we are also responsible for demanding accountability from our government, including our federal government. We will soon be electing a president and our national representatives. There is no better time than now to begin the process of turning out those politicians, including even the president, who are not truly representing us, and who are sending this nation down the long road of decline and mediocrity that we seem to be traveling at the moment. Let the upcoming election mark the day that we, the People, once again became the master of our government, and not its slaves.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Our "Transparent" President And The Great Alaskan Islands Giveaway
Today’s blog is intended to do three things. First, I would like to attract the attention of anyone who is fawning for the chance to re-elect President Barack Obama. Second I would like to spread the news to my fellow readers about what our President is planning. Finally, I would like this blog to encourage us all to finally act to stop the illegal give-away of seven Alaskan islands by the President and the Department of State.To all of you who are straining at the bit to get to the polls and re-elect Barack Obama, our most unpatriotic President, I urge you to read the article found at this link:
http://www.worldnewstribune.com/2012/02/20/obama-state-department-set-to-cede-oil-rich-alaska-islands-to-russia/
I have only provided one link, but I assure you that you can simply type this topic into one of the search engines and find hundreds of articles telling of this upcoming event. You will also find links to the documents that detail the secret dealings of “the most transparent presidency in the history of this nation.” Is this the “open,” “transparent” administration that you truly envisioned when you voted for President Obama? He did not bother to mention this “deal” to the people. Coincidentally, neither did ANY of the big news media, including “Faux News,” as many Obama-sheep love to call Fox. Most importantly, though, President Obama neglected to seek Congressional approval of this deal. Surely such a great advocate of “transparency in government” would not have made this omission.
To all of the rest of us who have had to endure the Obama administration’s continued and continual assault on the Constitution of the United States (a document that was once the law of this nation), I have to wonder: Will this latest action on the part of the President finally cause us to open our eyes? Will it finally convince us to get out of our chairs and do all that we can to keep this most unpatriotic and quite secretive President from being re-elected? In fairness to President Obama, I would like to say that there were plenty of “non-transparent” dealings under the Bush administration. On the other hand, Barack Obama, on his huge wave of popularity, promised to have the most open, most transparent government this nation has ever seen. Instead, his administration is one of secret dealings and utter disregard for the Constitution of the United States. Anyone (well, anyone with political clout and several million dollars) can be elected president once. But shame on all of us if THIS President is elected TWICE. In that case, we all surely get what we deserve, and more.
Finally, I would like to appeal to our leaders in Congress to Rise Up and do your job. Do the job that We the People elected you to do, and that we are PAYING you to do. Instead you refuse to STAND UP to this man, truly a wolf in sheep’s garments, and demand that he follow the law of the land, OR TAKE HIM OUT OF OFFICE. DO IT NOW, before he gives the Alaskan islands away, and with it the BILLIONS of barrels of oil on and around those islands. How does giving away this oil and these islands promote “the best interest of America,” Mr. President?
With my appeal to our “leaders,” I also appeal to all of us to demand that Congress rein in this man now. President Obama, who first turned his back on the flag of the nation that elected him, is now turning his back on the Constitution and on the very openness and transparency that he promised ALL of us. It is very easy to contact your political leaders. Each congressman and senator has a web page now, with comment sections. I do not like this method myself, but it is easy to do and takes very little time. Just a short and LOUD email will do. For me, I prefer the old-fashioned, snail-mailed letter approach. I personally believe that regular mail just has more impact. But I come from the pre-email generation, so take this with a grain of salt, as they say.
To all those who elected President Obama, I once again ask you, have you received all the openness and transparency that you were promised? If you think you have, and you want even more, than Obama is your man. If, however, you are somewhat disappointed with what Obama and his administration have become (always WAS, in the case of Hilary Clinton), then I urge you to do this at the next election. I URGE you to stand with the many others who will vote against this man and all he stands for, which, in my opinion, is quite the opposite of all he promised way back in 2007. As I have said before, maybe none of the choices for president we have are “good,” but I believe the worst choice is to let Barack Obama tarnish the office of President of the United States any further than he has so far managed to do.
PS: I have not even mentioned the much UN-heralded missile technology give-away that Obama has orchestrated. The give-away of the Alaskan Islands, with all their oil, and without Congressional approval, is an impeachable action. I think the missile technology deals with Russia are impeachable as well, but in fairness to Mr. Obama, if Bill Clinton was not impeached and removed for doing the same thing with China, I guess we have to forgive Mr. Obama, too.
http://www.worldnewstribune.com/2012/02/20/obama-state-department-set-to-cede-oil-rich-alaska-islands-to-russia/
I have only provided one link, but I assure you that you can simply type this topic into one of the search engines and find hundreds of articles telling of this upcoming event. You will also find links to the documents that detail the secret dealings of “the most transparent presidency in the history of this nation.” Is this the “open,” “transparent” administration that you truly envisioned when you voted for President Obama? He did not bother to mention this “deal” to the people. Coincidentally, neither did ANY of the big news media, including “Faux News,” as many Obama-sheep love to call Fox. Most importantly, though, President Obama neglected to seek Congressional approval of this deal. Surely such a great advocate of “transparency in government” would not have made this omission.
To all of the rest of us who have had to endure the Obama administration’s continued and continual assault on the Constitution of the United States (a document that was once the law of this nation), I have to wonder: Will this latest action on the part of the President finally cause us to open our eyes? Will it finally convince us to get out of our chairs and do all that we can to keep this most unpatriotic and quite secretive President from being re-elected? In fairness to President Obama, I would like to say that there were plenty of “non-transparent” dealings under the Bush administration. On the other hand, Barack Obama, on his huge wave of popularity, promised to have the most open, most transparent government this nation has ever seen. Instead, his administration is one of secret dealings and utter disregard for the Constitution of the United States. Anyone (well, anyone with political clout and several million dollars) can be elected president once. But shame on all of us if THIS President is elected TWICE. In that case, we all surely get what we deserve, and more.
Finally, I would like to appeal to our leaders in Congress to Rise Up and do your job. Do the job that We the People elected you to do, and that we are PAYING you to do. Instead you refuse to STAND UP to this man, truly a wolf in sheep’s garments, and demand that he follow the law of the land, OR TAKE HIM OUT OF OFFICE. DO IT NOW, before he gives the Alaskan islands away, and with it the BILLIONS of barrels of oil on and around those islands. How does giving away this oil and these islands promote “the best interest of America,” Mr. President?
With my appeal to our “leaders,” I also appeal to all of us to demand that Congress rein in this man now. President Obama, who first turned his back on the flag of the nation that elected him, is now turning his back on the Constitution and on the very openness and transparency that he promised ALL of us. It is very easy to contact your political leaders. Each congressman and senator has a web page now, with comment sections. I do not like this method myself, but it is easy to do and takes very little time. Just a short and LOUD email will do. For me, I prefer the old-fashioned, snail-mailed letter approach. I personally believe that regular mail just has more impact. But I come from the pre-email generation, so take this with a grain of salt, as they say.
To all those who elected President Obama, I once again ask you, have you received all the openness and transparency that you were promised? If you think you have, and you want even more, than Obama is your man. If, however, you are somewhat disappointed with what Obama and his administration have become (always WAS, in the case of Hilary Clinton), then I urge you to do this at the next election. I URGE you to stand with the many others who will vote against this man and all he stands for, which, in my opinion, is quite the opposite of all he promised way back in 2007. As I have said before, maybe none of the choices for president we have are “good,” but I believe the worst choice is to let Barack Obama tarnish the office of President of the United States any further than he has so far managed to do.
PS: I have not even mentioned the much UN-heralded missile technology give-away that Obama has orchestrated. The give-away of the Alaskan Islands, with all their oil, and without Congressional approval, is an impeachable action. I think the missile technology deals with Russia are impeachable as well, but in fairness to Mr. Obama, if Bill Clinton was not impeached and removed for doing the same thing with China, I guess we have to forgive Mr. Obama, too.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Just Another McDonald's Sunday
It was just another Sunday morning. My lovely bride and I had were returning from grocery buying when we decided to stop by McDonald's (Mickey D's) for breakfast. I would like to point out here that I ONLY eat Micky D breakfast food and their wonderful French fries. The other reason we chose Mickey D's is that they serve Peppermint Mocha, my SO's first choice in a morning drink.
Upon arrival at said Mickey D's #7240, we observed that the drive-through line was nearly two blocks long, so we opted to park our vehicle and actually walk inside to get our food. So we entered Mickey D's, which is reputed to be a "fast-food establishment." Let me just say that our experience with this particular McDonald's cast some quantity of doubt on that reputation.
The young lady operating the only working cash register on premises was very bright and outgoing. I have nothing but admiration for the way she did her job, both in welcoming us and in taking my order. The incident which I am about to relate to you has no bearing on this young cashier. May she have a blessed career at Mickey D's, full of opportunity for advancement. The incident truly begins AFTER we paid for our meal. The young lady thanked me for my order, handed my change to me, and said, "Your order is number fifty-eight." I took my receipt and joined my spouse and the six or seven people waiting for their orders to be filled.
A few minutes later, I noticed that more people were standing or sitting around waiting for food, and more cars were clogging the drive-through, but very few people were getting their actual orders handed to them at "Lane 3." That's right. After paying for food at Register 3, you were expected to pickup your food at Lane 3, a clear spot on the counter three spaces west of Register 3. Remember, Registers 1 and 2 were unmanned even though there were several people in the lobby waiting on food.
But, to her credit, the young lady at Register 3 was able to take everyone's order in a timely and cheerful manner. Not so much the cooking crew.
Normally, I would expect my order to be completed in two or three minutes and I would be out the door and on my way. But I had been to this Mickey D's on two previous occasions, so I was completely prepared for the possibility that this food-buying foray would take slightly longer than three minutes. So I passed the first five minutes by making pleasant talk with SO. Then I noticed that more and more people were gathering in the lobby, but very few people were getting their food and leaving. Similarly the drive-through contained the same vehicles that SO and I had seen when we entered the establishment.
Minute 6....
It was about here that I began to have some concern that the production time of our order was taking longer than usual, even for this McDonald's. I mentioned this to my spouse. She said, "Oh, we're not in any hurry. And this is sort of comical, really." I realized she was right. The interaction between the various "crewmen" was comical, now that I was watching. There were several team "members" working on two sides of a cooking line. The orders that needed completion were displayed on very modern television screens, each order being deleted from the screen as it was finished. High tech business efficiency at its best. Unfortunately, the efficiency achieved with order-placing was not matched in the production area.
The woman who appeared to be the shift leader was busy making pancakes and frying hash browns. The lady who appeared to be the head cook was assembling sausage mcmuffins at the rate of three or four a minute, while cooking other ingredients as well. There were other people cooking other things. The mystery was that no matter now many food items were cooked, no orders were completed. Then the two lady leaders began shouting at each other. One was demanding that certain items be cooked, while the other was telling the first lady that she HAD cooked those items, and then when the first lady demanded items that were already cooked, it confused the second lady and her helpers. After some more shouting and accusations of mismanagement, some orders were actually delivered.
I was suddenly so happy...our food was nearly ready. I was sure only a few of the frozen items stored in the back of the Tahoe had melted, and our order would be done before the rest of the chicken breasts thawed. My mistake! I head someone yell, "Number 65!." I knew I was "Number 58" so I should have been "served" at some point before Mr. 65 got his Big Breakfast with large coffee! I could tell that an annoyed blonde and a young man late for his shift at Taco Villa were both getting upset that their orders were not ready. They had both been waiting longer than had my SO and I. The blonde was making it clear through her facial expressions that she had been waiting long enough!
SO observed here that "this really is very funny!" There was no way she could be upset. The two apparent shift leaders had nearly caused a meltdown in the kitchen, the "front" people were still having problems completing orders. Various components of partial orders were stacked up in various places along the counters, and staff were arguing about how many pancakes and hash browns were in what bags. The drive-through line now extended out onto the Loop 250 service road, and SO and I had now been in Mickey D's for over fifteen minutes. The blonde customer had perfected her patiently forbearing look, and the Taco Villa kid was starting to sweat. A 'gansta,' I mean a gentleman in his early twenties who was dressed in a skull cap, long-tailed tee shirt, and baggy shorts pulled up to just below his buttocks had joined us in the waiting line. He displayed signs of a latent desire to commit criminal battery against the Mickey D staff who were not filling his order fast enough.
Someone shouted "Number 51!" I said to SO, "Did she just call 51?
"Yes, dear, she just called 51."
I said, "But they served 65 just a few minutes ago!"
Micky D staffer: "Number 68!"
SO: "There is no logic in their method."
At this point the agitated and impatient blonde took one step toward the counter. At that moment someone shouted, "Number 52!" The blonde walked quickly to the counter and took her order. A second later and the young Taco Villa employee got his order and left the restaurant. A very elderly man in front of me turned and gave me a knowing smile. In that moment I connected with him and realized that he felt like if he did not his order soon he would probably need someone to call the funeral parlor for him.
"Number 58!"
At long last our order was ready. Sweetie had her mocha now and I had my two egg mcmuffins with sausage. I went back to the cash register stand and asked the young lady the store manager's name. She was suddenly quite alarmed, but provided me with the requested information. I smiled at her, collected our order, and SO and I made our way back to the truck. The "quick stop" for breakfast and coffee ultimately took eighteen minutes. But I can say that I got to spend extra time with SO AND got entertained by the Micky D's staff all at the same time. What could be better? And I still get to call the manager and talk about the...er...less than stellar service SO and I received today. Fast food, slow fulfillment, and service with a scowl, ah, all the things you may expect at Midland Mickey D's #7420. Thank you for visiting, and have a pleasant week!
Upon arrival at said Mickey D's #7240, we observed that the drive-through line was nearly two blocks long, so we opted to park our vehicle and actually walk inside to get our food. So we entered Mickey D's, which is reputed to be a "fast-food establishment." Let me just say that our experience with this particular McDonald's cast some quantity of doubt on that reputation.
The young lady operating the only working cash register on premises was very bright and outgoing. I have nothing but admiration for the way she did her job, both in welcoming us and in taking my order. The incident which I am about to relate to you has no bearing on this young cashier. May she have a blessed career at Mickey D's, full of opportunity for advancement. The incident truly begins AFTER we paid for our meal. The young lady thanked me for my order, handed my change to me, and said, "Your order is number fifty-eight." I took my receipt and joined my spouse and the six or seven people waiting for their orders to be filled.
A few minutes later, I noticed that more people were standing or sitting around waiting for food, and more cars were clogging the drive-through, but very few people were getting their actual orders handed to them at "Lane 3." That's right. After paying for food at Register 3, you were expected to pickup your food at Lane 3, a clear spot on the counter three spaces west of Register 3. Remember, Registers 1 and 2 were unmanned even though there were several people in the lobby waiting on food.
But, to her credit, the young lady at Register 3 was able to take everyone's order in a timely and cheerful manner. Not so much the cooking crew.
Normally, I would expect my order to be completed in two or three minutes and I would be out the door and on my way. But I had been to this Mickey D's on two previous occasions, so I was completely prepared for the possibility that this food-buying foray would take slightly longer than three minutes. So I passed the first five minutes by making pleasant talk with SO. Then I noticed that more and more people were gathering in the lobby, but very few people were getting their food and leaving. Similarly the drive-through contained the same vehicles that SO and I had seen when we entered the establishment.
Minute 6....
It was about here that I began to have some concern that the production time of our order was taking longer than usual, even for this McDonald's. I mentioned this to my spouse. She said, "Oh, we're not in any hurry. And this is sort of comical, really." I realized she was right. The interaction between the various "crewmen" was comical, now that I was watching. There were several team "members" working on two sides of a cooking line. The orders that needed completion were displayed on very modern television screens, each order being deleted from the screen as it was finished. High tech business efficiency at its best. Unfortunately, the efficiency achieved with order-placing was not matched in the production area.
The woman who appeared to be the shift leader was busy making pancakes and frying hash browns. The lady who appeared to be the head cook was assembling sausage mcmuffins at the rate of three or four a minute, while cooking other ingredients as well. There were other people cooking other things. The mystery was that no matter now many food items were cooked, no orders were completed. Then the two lady leaders began shouting at each other. One was demanding that certain items be cooked, while the other was telling the first lady that she HAD cooked those items, and then when the first lady demanded items that were already cooked, it confused the second lady and her helpers. After some more shouting and accusations of mismanagement, some orders were actually delivered.
I was suddenly so happy...our food was nearly ready. I was sure only a few of the frozen items stored in the back of the Tahoe had melted, and our order would be done before the rest of the chicken breasts thawed. My mistake! I head someone yell, "Number 65!." I knew I was "Number 58" so I should have been "served" at some point before Mr. 65 got his Big Breakfast with large coffee! I could tell that an annoyed blonde and a young man late for his shift at Taco Villa were both getting upset that their orders were not ready. They had both been waiting longer than had my SO and I. The blonde was making it clear through her facial expressions that she had been waiting long enough!
SO observed here that "this really is very funny!" There was no way she could be upset. The two apparent shift leaders had nearly caused a meltdown in the kitchen, the "front" people were still having problems completing orders. Various components of partial orders were stacked up in various places along the counters, and staff were arguing about how many pancakes and hash browns were in what bags. The drive-through line now extended out onto the Loop 250 service road, and SO and I had now been in Mickey D's for over fifteen minutes. The blonde customer had perfected her patiently forbearing look, and the Taco Villa kid was starting to sweat. A 'gansta,' I mean a gentleman in his early twenties who was dressed in a skull cap, long-tailed tee shirt, and baggy shorts pulled up to just below his buttocks had joined us in the waiting line. He displayed signs of a latent desire to commit criminal battery against the Mickey D staff who were not filling his order fast enough.
Someone shouted "Number 51!" I said to SO, "Did she just call 51?
"Yes, dear, she just called 51."
I said, "But they served 65 just a few minutes ago!"
Micky D staffer: "Number 68!"
SO: "There is no logic in their method."
At this point the agitated and impatient blonde took one step toward the counter. At that moment someone shouted, "Number 52!" The blonde walked quickly to the counter and took her order. A second later and the young Taco Villa employee got his order and left the restaurant. A very elderly man in front of me turned and gave me a knowing smile. In that moment I connected with him and realized that he felt like if he did not his order soon he would probably need someone to call the funeral parlor for him.
"Number 58!"
At long last our order was ready. Sweetie had her mocha now and I had my two egg mcmuffins with sausage. I went back to the cash register stand and asked the young lady the store manager's name. She was suddenly quite alarmed, but provided me with the requested information. I smiled at her, collected our order, and SO and I made our way back to the truck. The "quick stop" for breakfast and coffee ultimately took eighteen minutes. But I can say that I got to spend extra time with SO AND got entertained by the Micky D's staff all at the same time. What could be better? And I still get to call the manager and talk about the...er...less than stellar service SO and I received today. Fast food, slow fulfillment, and service with a scowl, ah, all the things you may expect at Midland Mickey D's #7420. Thank you for visiting, and have a pleasant week!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
The FBI Monitors Our Social Media And Wants To Do A Better Job
If what I am about to tell you comes as a big surprise, you may be in trouble already. News sources, both conventional and “virtual,” have for the past few days talked about the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and its well-publicized intention to seek software that will allow the agency to more effectively “mine” social media to “detect specific and credible threats, locate those organizing and taking part in dangerous gatherings and predict upcoming events.”
Like I said, if the above information is a surprise to you, then you may well already be under surveillance. Who knows? The idea of a human law enforcement agent panning the Internet social outlets does not really bother me, and here is why. If I put something on the social network such as Facebook (though I don’t necessarily want the police recording it) I have to assume that SOMEONE will see it. And, after all, I am posting the information so that it WILL be seen by someone. As a responsible person, I have to know (from common sense!) that what I post on a venue such as Facebook will be viewed by whom I intend it to be viewed, but also by anyone who can read my “friends’” posts. It follows that posts can probably be read by anyone else who can read THEIR friend’s posts, and so on. Also, in my limited knowledge of law enforcement tools and know-how, it is entirely possibly that “cyber cops” have the ability to access any person’s posts and profiles on Facebook. Obviously then, anyone who posts a comment or a video on the Internet that reveals illegal activities should not be too shocked when the police come to call a few hours later. This is akin to someone robbing a bank then walking outside and yelling, “Hey Police! I just robbed this bank! Oh yeah, here’s a video too!” Fail….
So again, it does not bother me when ordinary cops surf through Facebook, YouTube, or Twitter and find “probable cause” to suspect that a specific person committed a specific crime. What I have a problem with are the national police using software to find random bits of information, and then zero in on a person who used certain “catch words” that automatically activate an investigation of that person. Our computers of today, for all their brilliant semi-intelligence and superb engineering, alas, are still not able to discern the context in which words are used, whether puns are intended, or whether someone is “joking.” For instance, a human police officer reads the following statement: I could just KILL him! The officer, upon reading the entire content of the passage, could easily determine that the person making the statement was frustrated, but was not plotting a murder. A computer program, upon “hearing” the same statement, would automatically search and retrieve identifying data concerning the person who originated the comment and send this information to the appropriate federal police official. Even worse, the computer program could automatically trigger a response such as surveillance, background investigation, financial investigation, and so on. Only after a human agent intervened could the investigation be called off it were unwarranted.
It is not unlikely at all the FBI already has some programs of this nature in place, as the article quoted above addresses the fact that the FBI is seeking “better” software or computer programs. Thus, implicitly the FBI is admitting that some sort of Internet “crawling” or “trawling” program is already in place. This, again, should not come as a surprise. Another possibility, if not a likelihood, is that other, less innocuous federal agencies are also employing various types of Internet inspection programs. There are many agencies that have federal jurisdiction beside the FBI, and several of these agencies fall under far less scrutiny than does the FBI. One such agency, the Central Intelligence Agency, is not legally allowed to conduct operations within the United States. Of course since it operates in secret, we can presume that we would never know if the CIA was in fact conducting operations within the United States.
In the final analysis, it is not the fact that it may be legal for the various agencies to scrutinize the Internet to find out what I may be thinking or saying that makes me uncomfortable. It is the idea that I have to be careful simply because I may be wrongly accused of being some kind of outlaw or even merely “sympathizing” with some criminal or terrorist. And this suspicion would be based on the “hunch” of some computer software program. It all comes down to free speech in a free society. The idea of constant Internet surveillance is akin to having police agents spread throughout the community, as they were in New York, listening for people to “say the wrong thing.” It is the idea that, in the name of “national security” we (the people) are expected to surrender our God-given and inalienable right of free speech just to stay off “the radar,” so to speak. It is the same principle as the ever increasing use of surveillance cameras all over this nation. We just seem to accept more and more loss of privacy, becoming ever more uncomfortable and unhappy, but always allowing ourselves to suffer more surveillance and restrictions. I hope that many of you who read this blog will begin to think about these things, and maybe begin to voice your opinions to politicians, demanding your right to privacy, and your right to be free of unwarranted criminal surveillance. In essence, I wonder how long it will be until we all get fed up with it, and we all once again demand the freedom that our forefathers and our soldiers through the years, have fought for and died for, for all of us. And one more thing: It appears that our government believes that the First Amendment represents a danger to national security. Think about that.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Goodbye Selene or Farewell, The Moon
I hate to be an alarmist, but...THE MOON IS MOVING AWAY FROM THE EARTH AT AN ALARMINGLY RAPID RATE EVERY YEAR!!!
Yes, my friends, the above statement is true, except that the "alarming" part, maybe. You see, I watched educational, scientific television last night and learned many interesting facts about Selene, that is our own Moon. One of those interesting facts was that scientists (having nothing better to do on a Saturday night, I suppose) somehow figured out that the moon is moving away from the earth at the rather rapid speed of 1.5 inches per year. This means that in only about...okay, I personally cannot do the math, but I know it will be several hundred thousand years, the moon, or Selene, as the ancient Greeks called her, will move to a point at which it will no longer influence the planetary movements of our Mother Earth.
It kind of reminds me of that old song..."in the year 10010, I'm never gonna' see the tide rise again." Okay, I was paraphrasing. But, according to those same scientists, as the moon draws further away from the earth, strange things will begin to happen. For instance, the earth's axis is currently tilted at approximately a twenty degree angle (I just love it when I get to throw "approximately" into a sentence!). The moon's gravitational attraction is the force that keeps this approximate angle so... approximate. Apparently the twenty degree tilt is just what our earth needs to keep the seasons regular. Unfortunately, without the moon's push-pull motion on the earth, the attitude of the earth's axis would become chaotic. The seasons would then become unpredictable, the poles would shift, and Ron Paul would be elected president of the United States.
And still the moon is receding farther and farther into space. The loss of the moon's influence on the earth, while not so dramatic as "global warming," is actually far more permanent and, unfortunately, far more deadly. As mentioned, the seasons would go crazy, but also the ocean's tides would be most adversely effected. For instance, the tides are now fairly regular, ebbing and flowing at approximately each twelve hours. As the moon leaves it earthly orbit, the tides would change over time. The ebb and flow of the tides would eventually cease. Of course we could only wonder whether to the tides would be high or low when they ceased. I am betting on high, as this would make the disaster more disastrous. As the scientists demonstrated, the United States would lose the West Coast (down-side?), the East Coast (good -bye New Jersey), and the Gulf Coast, with the shoreline ending up many miles inland. Just imagine, you could wake up in your Chicago hotel, walk out to the sidewalk, and then hold your nose and jump into the Atlantic!
A sad fact about the loss of the moon's influence on the earth is that the days would lengthen. Well, maybe that is not sad. In fact I have heard several people over the years say that they wished there were more than twenty-four hours in a day. These people may just get their wishes. Apparently the moon's gravitational effect on the earth somehow influences the length of our earth day. Apparently I must have gone to the refrigerator for a snack just about here, because I somehow missed out on exactly how the moon, or the lack thereof, would lengthen our days. Suffice it to say, though, that the nights would increase in length in correspondence with the days. This might have severe ramifications for those who might be caught working the "graveyard" shift when the moon finally pulled out of its orbit around the earth.
I could go on...but I think I have made my point. The various doomsday scenarios such as "global warming" or the dreaded date 12/21/12 simply pale in comparison the impending loss of our lunar partner. What with the chaotic earth axis, the loss of the oceans' tidal motion, and the really long days and nights we could expect, I am pretty sure we would all forget about that Mayan calendar that came to an abrupt end so many centuries ago. And if you are the type that likes to worry about each new "crisis" that is unveiled on the news with frightening regularity, you would no doubt LOVE to add the looming loss of the lunar satellite to your growing inventory of unhappy endings. So...you heard it from me, and you have been warned, it is time to say "Goodbye Selene! or Farewell! the Moon!.
Yes, my friends, the above statement is true, except that the "alarming" part, maybe. You see, I watched educational, scientific television last night and learned many interesting facts about Selene, that is our own Moon. One of those interesting facts was that scientists (having nothing better to do on a Saturday night, I suppose) somehow figured out that the moon is moving away from the earth at the rather rapid speed of 1.5 inches per year. This means that in only about...okay, I personally cannot do the math, but I know it will be several hundred thousand years, the moon, or Selene, as the ancient Greeks called her, will move to a point at which it will no longer influence the planetary movements of our Mother Earth.
It kind of reminds me of that old song..."in the year 10010, I'm never gonna' see the tide rise again." Okay, I was paraphrasing. But, according to those same scientists, as the moon draws further away from the earth, strange things will begin to happen. For instance, the earth's axis is currently tilted at approximately a twenty degree angle (I just love it when I get to throw "approximately" into a sentence!). The moon's gravitational attraction is the force that keeps this approximate angle so... approximate. Apparently the twenty degree tilt is just what our earth needs to keep the seasons regular. Unfortunately, without the moon's push-pull motion on the earth, the attitude of the earth's axis would become chaotic. The seasons would then become unpredictable, the poles would shift, and Ron Paul would be elected president of the United States.
And still the moon is receding farther and farther into space. The loss of the moon's influence on the earth, while not so dramatic as "global warming," is actually far more permanent and, unfortunately, far more deadly. As mentioned, the seasons would go crazy, but also the ocean's tides would be most adversely effected. For instance, the tides are now fairly regular, ebbing and flowing at approximately each twelve hours. As the moon leaves it earthly orbit, the tides would change over time. The ebb and flow of the tides would eventually cease. Of course we could only wonder whether to the tides would be high or low when they ceased. I am betting on high, as this would make the disaster more disastrous. As the scientists demonstrated, the United States would lose the West Coast (down-side?), the East Coast (good -bye New Jersey), and the Gulf Coast, with the shoreline ending up many miles inland. Just imagine, you could wake up in your Chicago hotel, walk out to the sidewalk, and then hold your nose and jump into the Atlantic!
A sad fact about the loss of the moon's influence on the earth is that the days would lengthen. Well, maybe that is not sad. In fact I have heard several people over the years say that they wished there were more than twenty-four hours in a day. These people may just get their wishes. Apparently the moon's gravitational effect on the earth somehow influences the length of our earth day. Apparently I must have gone to the refrigerator for a snack just about here, because I somehow missed out on exactly how the moon, or the lack thereof, would lengthen our days. Suffice it to say, though, that the nights would increase in length in correspondence with the days. This might have severe ramifications for those who might be caught working the "graveyard" shift when the moon finally pulled out of its orbit around the earth.
I could go on...but I think I have made my point. The various doomsday scenarios such as "global warming" or the dreaded date 12/21/12 simply pale in comparison the impending loss of our lunar partner. What with the chaotic earth axis, the loss of the oceans' tidal motion, and the really long days and nights we could expect, I am pretty sure we would all forget about that Mayan calendar that came to an abrupt end so many centuries ago. And if you are the type that likes to worry about each new "crisis" that is unveiled on the news with frightening regularity, you would no doubt LOVE to add the looming loss of the lunar satellite to your growing inventory of unhappy endings. So...you heard it from me, and you have been warned, it is time to say "Goodbye Selene! or Farewell! the Moon!.
Friday, February 3, 2012
That Rare Second Chance - Count Your Blessings When You Get One
Only slightly rarer in this life than surviving a "near death experience" is getting a second chance at righting a terrible wrong. In the first instance, a person may make some kind of error or simply be the victim of some fateful circumstance which literally comes to within an inch or a heartbeat of taking that person's life. In the other instance, a person makes a mistake that breaks another's heart, and seemingly will never get another chance to fix that mistake, to relive that moment, and do it right.
A few days ago I read the very stunning news that an Orange County Deputy had been shot by a sixteen year old "boy," as the news called him. This "teen" had been transported from a local juvenile facility to the Orange County Courthouse for a hearing. The young man was handcuffed and shackled, but somehow managed to free his hands. As Deputy Fred Ashworth was removing the juvenile from the police car back at the juvenile center, the juvenile managed to remove the deputy's gun from the holster. He then shot Deputy Ashworth twice in the shoulder. The officer fell wounded and the juvenile attempted to flee but found that he was locked in the sally port. Other officers arrived a short time later. One officer was also a paramedic and begin treating Deputy Ashworth literally under the gun the juvenile was holding. Information now available tells us that Deputy Ashworth, now armed with only his taser, talked with the juvenile trying to get him to put down the gun before other officers arrived. I have to admire both this peace officer's courage AND his ability to have concern for the person who had just tried to kill him and could still do so with a simple squeeze of the trigger. Deputy Ashworth told the young man that even if he shot at the ever growing number of officers, he himself would surely be killed in the end. And for reasons unknown, the young man eventually gave up without further bloodshed.
The epilogue to this terrible event is that Deputy Ashworth not only survived, and saved his assailant's life in the process, but Deputy Ashworth has now been released from the hospital and likely will be able to return to his job in just a little while. But that is only part of the epilogue; the other part is that Deputy Ashworth will be able to resume his normal activities soon, and he will also get that coveted and rare second chance to relive his experience, in this case the transportation of a prisoner, and correct his mistake or correct the weakness in the equipment that the juvenile offender used to his advantage. Whether there was a human mistake or just a fateful flaw in the restraint equipment, Deputy Ashworth will get that second chance that people so many times do not.
Tonight I got a second chance of the other kind - the kind in which I made a terrible mistake, albeit unintentional, that hurt another person, breaking her heart. It was just a thoughtless moment, or rather, a poorly thought out moment. Poorly thought out on my part, I mean. It was a couple of years ago, and my SO, who is a nurse, was out of town for days attending a medical conference. When she returned to Midland, so eager to see me and happy to be home once again, I was waiting for her near the baggage claim area. A few minutes after I arrived, I saw her coming down the escalator from which she would make her way to the baggage claim area. But when she got off the escalator, instead of going to the baggage carousel, my lovely bride began running toward me. She ran to me, embraced me so tightly, and with tears streaming down her cheeks she told me how desperately she had missed me. She told me how happy she was to see me again.
I was overwhelmed and embraced her in return....
No, what I really did, my friends, was so selfish and to her, so uncaring and heartless. I told her, "Sweetheart, there are too many people around. They are watching us!" My friends, I cannot tell you how this thoughtless moment crushed my wife. She was so glad to see me, she had missed me so much that all she wanted to do was to fall into my arms and let me hold her close to me, to let her know how much I had missed her. Instead, I was so concerned with appearances. What would other people think of a "mature" man showing such an intense display of public affection? Just like that what should have been a magical moment between two people in love was broken by a rash moment of thoughtlessness.
Fast forward to tonight. My lovely bride was just arriving at Midland International after having attended a week-long conference out of state. Yes, there it was, my coveted and rare second chance. I had bought two special gifts for my bride, and now I was racing to the airport. I just HAD to get to the lobby and be waiting for her when she came down that same escalator. I would be standing in nearly the exact spot I had stood those years ago, and she would make the same detour from the baggage claim area to come running to me, her arms spread open.........
Just then the phone rang. She said, "I have my bags. Inside or outside?" I was still a block away from the lobby! I hastily texted her "Stay Inside!" A few minutes later she texted me the following: I am waiting outside. I was already parked and just about to run inside the lobby, bearing my gifts. So I texted back to her, "No! Wait inside!" I know she was puzzled, but she complied with my demand.
I entered the lobby from the center entrance while she was at the north entrance. She did not see me, so I ran. I got as close to her as I could before she saw me. I said, "Honey!" My lovely bride started running to me but she only took about two steps before I was upon her. I hugged her close to me and told her how happy I was to see her. She told me how happy she was to see me, and to be home! We embraced so tightly right there in the airport lobby. I do not know if any of the many travelers trying to retrieve their bags saw us, or paid attention to us at all. I did not care. All I cared about was the love of my life was standing there, all safe and sound, and so happy to see me again.
The epilogue to this event was that I took advantage of the rare and special second chance I was given to right that heartbreaking wrong of two years ago. I had to wonder how many people get a second chance to right some deep wrong. How blessed was I to get this chance. Not the dramatic second chance that Deputy Ashworth got, but the heartfelt and poignant kind that two people in love will never forget. And I gave her those two special gifts...not expensive...but meaningful in the moment.
Maybe you have something, some wrong, some deed, that you would give anything...ANYTHING...to have that one chance to do it again...to do it right. Just don't give up, don't lose hope. That second chance may be waiting just around the corner, just across the next bridge. All you have to do is forget your selfishness and concern about what people...anyone...will think, and grab that second chance with all your strength, mind, and heart. Don't be afraid...just do it. The reward is a very happy and tearful spouse...and such a warm feeling in your heart to know that you got a second chance...and you got it right!
A few days ago I read the very stunning news that an Orange County Deputy had been shot by a sixteen year old "boy," as the news called him. This "teen" had been transported from a local juvenile facility to the Orange County Courthouse for a hearing. The young man was handcuffed and shackled, but somehow managed to free his hands. As Deputy Fred Ashworth was removing the juvenile from the police car back at the juvenile center, the juvenile managed to remove the deputy's gun from the holster. He then shot Deputy Ashworth twice in the shoulder. The officer fell wounded and the juvenile attempted to flee but found that he was locked in the sally port. Other officers arrived a short time later. One officer was also a paramedic and begin treating Deputy Ashworth literally under the gun the juvenile was holding. Information now available tells us that Deputy Ashworth, now armed with only his taser, talked with the juvenile trying to get him to put down the gun before other officers arrived. I have to admire both this peace officer's courage AND his ability to have concern for the person who had just tried to kill him and could still do so with a simple squeeze of the trigger. Deputy Ashworth told the young man that even if he shot at the ever growing number of officers, he himself would surely be killed in the end. And for reasons unknown, the young man eventually gave up without further bloodshed.
The epilogue to this terrible event is that Deputy Ashworth not only survived, and saved his assailant's life in the process, but Deputy Ashworth has now been released from the hospital and likely will be able to return to his job in just a little while. But that is only part of the epilogue; the other part is that Deputy Ashworth will be able to resume his normal activities soon, and he will also get that coveted and rare second chance to relive his experience, in this case the transportation of a prisoner, and correct his mistake or correct the weakness in the equipment that the juvenile offender used to his advantage. Whether there was a human mistake or just a fateful flaw in the restraint equipment, Deputy Ashworth will get that second chance that people so many times do not.
Tonight I got a second chance of the other kind - the kind in which I made a terrible mistake, albeit unintentional, that hurt another person, breaking her heart. It was just a thoughtless moment, or rather, a poorly thought out moment. Poorly thought out on my part, I mean. It was a couple of years ago, and my SO, who is a nurse, was out of town for days attending a medical conference. When she returned to Midland, so eager to see me and happy to be home once again, I was waiting for her near the baggage claim area. A few minutes after I arrived, I saw her coming down the escalator from which she would make her way to the baggage claim area. But when she got off the escalator, instead of going to the baggage carousel, my lovely bride began running toward me. She ran to me, embraced me so tightly, and with tears streaming down her cheeks she told me how desperately she had missed me. She told me how happy she was to see me again.
I was overwhelmed and embraced her in return....
No, what I really did, my friends, was so selfish and to her, so uncaring and heartless. I told her, "Sweetheart, there are too many people around. They are watching us!" My friends, I cannot tell you how this thoughtless moment crushed my wife. She was so glad to see me, she had missed me so much that all she wanted to do was to fall into my arms and let me hold her close to me, to let her know how much I had missed her. Instead, I was so concerned with appearances. What would other people think of a "mature" man showing such an intense display of public affection? Just like that what should have been a magical moment between two people in love was broken by a rash moment of thoughtlessness.
Fast forward to tonight. My lovely bride was just arriving at Midland International after having attended a week-long conference out of state. Yes, there it was, my coveted and rare second chance. I had bought two special gifts for my bride, and now I was racing to the airport. I just HAD to get to the lobby and be waiting for her when she came down that same escalator. I would be standing in nearly the exact spot I had stood those years ago, and she would make the same detour from the baggage claim area to come running to me, her arms spread open.........
Just then the phone rang. She said, "I have my bags. Inside or outside?" I was still a block away from the lobby! I hastily texted her "Stay Inside!" A few minutes later she texted me the following: I am waiting outside. I was already parked and just about to run inside the lobby, bearing my gifts. So I texted back to her, "No! Wait inside!" I know she was puzzled, but she complied with my demand.
I entered the lobby from the center entrance while she was at the north entrance. She did not see me, so I ran. I got as close to her as I could before she saw me. I said, "Honey!" My lovely bride started running to me but she only took about two steps before I was upon her. I hugged her close to me and told her how happy I was to see her. She told me how happy she was to see me, and to be home! We embraced so tightly right there in the airport lobby. I do not know if any of the many travelers trying to retrieve their bags saw us, or paid attention to us at all. I did not care. All I cared about was the love of my life was standing there, all safe and sound, and so happy to see me again.
The epilogue to this event was that I took advantage of the rare and special second chance I was given to right that heartbreaking wrong of two years ago. I had to wonder how many people get a second chance to right some deep wrong. How blessed was I to get this chance. Not the dramatic second chance that Deputy Ashworth got, but the heartfelt and poignant kind that two people in love will never forget. And I gave her those two special gifts...not expensive...but meaningful in the moment.
Maybe you have something, some wrong, some deed, that you would give anything...ANYTHING...to have that one chance to do it again...to do it right. Just don't give up, don't lose hope. That second chance may be waiting just around the corner, just across the next bridge. All you have to do is forget your selfishness and concern about what people...anyone...will think, and grab that second chance with all your strength, mind, and heart. Don't be afraid...just do it. The reward is a very happy and tearful spouse...and such a warm feeling in your heart to know that you got a second chance...and you got it right!
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