Fate and Decisions

             We recently had one of our bunkhouse cooks at our company get into a bad motorcycle accident. He was going 65 mph when a car pulled out in front of him. The kid driving obviously didn't see him. Instead, he was looking at oncoming traffic in the opposite direction. Our cook, Carlton, had the cognition to lay his bike down as you are taught to do in a situation like that. This could have been the deciding factor on whether or not I saw him in a hospital the following day or in a casket. I've only known him for a short time, but he has an energy like none other. He is one of the most likable employees we have, and that is including staff members. For this to happen to a guy like that makes me think that fate doesn't have favorites, but then again maybe it does. He did survive what could have been a fatal accident, but it also makes me think why did this happen to him. He is a very religious man, but in times like these, it seems like that faith would be tested. Maybe there is no such thing as fate, only decisions. Most outcomes in life are based on decisions made. The idea that a decision by another human being can derail your life in an instant is a powerful thing. It gives everyone a sense of vulnerability whether they want to admit it or not. But there is also the positive outlook of a good decision by a friend, family member, or stranger that could change your path substantially. Us earthlings are all in this together. Whether you like it or not, you do not have as much control of your life as you think. So find a way every day to learn and teach others what good decisions are so that when the time comes to make a decision, it will hopefully be one that impacts their life, and possibly yours, in a positive manner. In the end, we are all just zooming around this big star making the best of the tiny existence that we are fortunate enough to get. In the eyes of this planet, our existence is just a blink of an eye. There are bigger things out there that have been around longer than us that we can appreciate, but it is the smaller things in our lifetime that we tend to forget.

I Am a Sore Loser

            Today, our companies 2014 Safety Slogan was unveiled. Last year was my first year competing and first year winning it. This year there was no triumph, only disappointment. I submitted close to 15 slogans, some more thoughtful than others. I feel I have a real knack for these types of contest. Alas, the winner's slogan was announced. When it wasn't mine, I realized how sore of a loser I am. I started to criticize right away instead of seeing that another employee worked just as hard as me to make his/her mark on our company. I think sometimes being a sore loser gets confused with having a passion for your creation. Wanting to be the best is a natural feeling. When you feel that you have given it your best, but still don't bring home the prize, there is a little feeling of spite towards the winner. The only reason I can think of that this feeling arises is that it is more of a jealousy than a dislike that you feel. You want to be the one getting the congratulations and attaboys. Instead, I was left with the feeling that only a select few got to see my creation and to them it just wasn't good enough. I keep thinking if it was on a bigger stage where the company could vote, it just might have made it. But, I just have to realize that just because it didn't get the vote of a committee, doesn't mean that they weren't some of the most creative ideas I have had. The sore loser part is more or less a projection of feeling rejected. I personally thought my slogan was the best, but it just goes to show that sometimes what you think you have is gold, but winds up being silver in the eye of the beholder. On the brightside, I have a friend who has recently started up an energy solutions company that was more than happy to consider my slogans. Looks like it all goes back to the old saying that one man's trash is another man's treasure. 

Update on this: Won the slogan competition the next year with the same slogan.

Learning Spanish vs. Institutional Education.

           I've gotten to the point in my life that I am interested in learning again. I have always had an interest in learning through articles and everyday experiences, but I'd like to push the boundary a little further and learn something that can benefit me on a universal level. I recently went to a retirement party for one of my wife's co-workers and struck up a conversation with the French teacher at their elementary school. The thing that stuck out the most about the things we talked about is how normal it is to be fluent in more than one language for Europeans. Many Americans have the mindset of foreigners having to learn English if they come to America. I look at that as many Americans exerting a subliminal laziness through that observation. The thinking is "Why should I have to learn a new language, if they are the ones living in my country?". That might be a bit of an exaggeration, but I think it is more or less our easy fix society looking at learning another language being a very steep hill to climb. Why should we be the ones to climb it? Well I've decided to start climbing that hill, not only to better my career, but also because I feel that I would be depriving myself not to. Immersing myself into a new language seems much more challenging than going back to school to get graded on how well I can spit facts back to a professor for a grade. Not to mention, the cost is tremendously low for such a highly valued skill. Being great at memorizing things won't get you as far as gaining useful knowledge, such as a secondary language, that you can apply towards your job, relationships, and financial situation. Sometimes you've got to swim upstream a ways to find what you are looking for. It might be harder going against the current of popular thinking, but once you've reached your destination, you won't just be another fish in the stream.