What Did They Say?

On my way to work this morning I was listening to one of the local talk radio programs. As has been the case for the last several months, the subject changed to a discussion about Bill Cosby. Inevitably, although in this instance it was a rather unique take, there was a joke made about Pudding Pops. It is one of those things that is both funny and stomach churning at the same time. However, it got me thinking about a few simple phrases that we might say during the day that can be taken in a completely different way depending on the person with whom you are having a conversation.

Talking to someone about how you remember Pudding Pops is one thing, mention Bill Cosby’s name and you just feel dirty. This doesn’t just apply to the recent headlines, in such a politically correct world, an innocent statement can be taken completely out of context. At time, innocuous moments need to be handled with kid gloves simply because someone might be offended even though what is said has nothing to do with race, gender, orientation, etc. The following are three examples of the things that I have heard said at the office.

This time of year it is pretty common for my colleagues to go on vacation. For most this usually means a trip to the beach where they spend at least some of the time laying on the sand and getting a tan. When they return to the office someone inevitably makes the statement “you’re really dark.” This comment makes perfect sense given the context and the person to whom they are speaking. However, for those without a means to censor themselves, this could easily be seen as a comment regarding race.

We have also had a lot of people come to the office lately for interviews. It is a process for sure. We have had a huge variety of people walk through the doors with different experiences and backgrounds. In one instance I recall one of these interviewees make a comment regarding one of my colleagues… they are really short. At this point, the person making the comment had only seen her back. This prompted their immediate ‘oh crap’ face followed by the question, “she’s not Asian, right?” Yep, a comment with little meaning behind it beyond an observation turned into a potential instance of racial profiling in about half a second.   

The last example caught all of us off guard. There is someone we work with called Richard. He is a man that enjoys traveling. There is also a second person we work with by the same name. After a quick call with the one that enjoys traveling about his recent excursions, someone made the comment “That Dick has been all over the place.” It took a second but we all ended up laughing about the double entendre. At the same time, we recalled one of our previous coworkers that would have definitely been offended… good thing she wasn’t there. Generally speaking, I guess it is also a good thing that Bill Cosby’s first name isn’t Richard!

McDonald’s Or Wendy’s?

Those of you that know me, know that is not a question that I encounter in my daily life. Those of you that have yet to get to know me you know by my svelte build that is not a common query. But that question really isn’t the story, it is what was going on around me when that question was asked which is of interest. The fact that the question was even asked by a complete stranger adds a little color to my long Friday commute.

I started my morning right on time to make it to the office well before a 9:00 am call. Having had to work from home the day before, the day was going to be pretty hectic as I tried to make up for what was a less than optimal day of production. The roads weren’t too bad with only a few slightly slick spots here and there, the occasional rumble strip of snow and ice, and a sun glare that gradually got worse as the minutes went by. With the sun directly in my eyes about five miles from the office I increased the gap between me and the car in front of me and reduced my speed to about 40 miles per hour. And I am really glad I did.

 

Without any warning traffic came to a dead stop and I slammed on the brakes. As the antilock brakes pumped I could hear the crunching of cars ahead of me. Thankfully, I took the precautions I did and I safely came to rest about three feet from the car in front of me (the car behind me did the same). So we all sat there for the next five minutes with our cars still running and brake lights on.

It was only a few minutes later when the reports began filling the radio and we all knew that we were going to be there for a while. Like dominos, cars were put into park, engines were turned off, and we all settled down for a long delay. Thirty minutes to go before my call and I knew that I would be dialing in from the car so I sent a few text messages to the office, my family, and my wife letting them know that I was fine but that I wasn’t going to get to the office any time soon.

 

Before I knew it, it was time to dial into the conference call. Surprisingly enough, this may have been the first time that I have had to be on a conference call from the car. Having now done it once, I can say that I am not a big fan and I will continue doing my best to avoid it in the future. By the time I got off the phone we were all sitting in the same spot and we all knew the extent of the backup as opposing traffic had now ceased and emergency vehicles were driving back and forth assessing the damage and looking for anyone else who might need assistance.

 

By 11:00 am we were all walking around the highway chatting and getting to know other people who are now sharing a common inconvenient experience. After all, we all knew how much worse it could have been for us. We could have easily been the ones in the 100 car pileup just a half mile ahead. So, while we were all a bit grumpy (especially those of us who were without coffee) we were all, at least most of us, were just trying to make the best out of things.

Not long after that, the kindness of strangers began showing itself. What began with bottles of water being handed which was appreciated, soon gave way to a woman in the far right lane passing out cupcakes which would no longer be consumed at work and the aroma of coffee being replenished in travel mugs. Our new found calm only made the morning pass a bit faster and made us all just a little bit friendlier.

Around noon we all seemed to return to our cars. Not because of any anticipation of traffic beginning to free up it was a strange unified time when everyone decided to make phone calls. I guess another benefit to this whole dilemma besides forcing everyone to just stop and try and find the positive to the situation was the fact that we could catch up on some long overdue phone calls. While I wasn’t able to dial everyone, I did manage to catch up with a few people with whom I had not spoken to in some time.

It was during these phone calls when a man came walking down the highway, stopping at every car, and asking us if we wanted a cheeseburger. Not many of us passed up the kind offer which led to his next question, “Wendy’s or McDonald’s?” Not much difference between the two so I arbitrarily chose Wendy’s. 1:00 pm and lunch was served.

The next hour when quickly and before I knew it I was on another conference call. As we discussed the difficulties of my commute I could hear the wave of car engines turning on roll up the highway (the only exceptions beyond the accident scenes being those who ran out of gas or had dead batteries). As we slowly formed a single file line and slalomed back and forth across the lanes between accident scenes, I pointed my phone from atop the steering wheel and captured some random pictures of what had caused the delay which had all of us parked on the highway for the past 6 hours.

Around 2:30 pm, I arrived at the office and, contrary to what many people would think, I wasn’t really in a bad mood. Of course, my day was wasted and I have to make up some work this weekend but I was still in one piece and I was able to witness, first hand, how people come together when put in a situation that they really can’t change. However, I am now painfully aware that I need to stop by the store sometime soon and pick up some MRE’s to make these situations a bit easier. Might be worth adding a few other preps. You never know.

Politics 101: The Doody Head Assertion

Sometimes it’s not work which tires you out is all the stuff that surrounds the working hours. Even a family dinner out can be a bit draining. However, many times it is the things at the end of the day that can turn things around. That same family dinner can have that impact on others.

However, the one thing that can provide the greatest mood swing in your day is the voice booming through the speakers of your car as you listen to the news, talk radio, or some random “music” station. Sometimes all it takes is one piece of news, one detour, one commentary, one horrendous song that can turn a really good day into one that can’t end soon enough.

Maybe I am putting too much thought into this or maybe I am too easily riled. Of course, I could be increasingly temperamental due to the idiots around me that can drive worth a darn, don’t know how to merge, and think a blinker is optional. I blame them.

Listening to talk radio for much of my ride home at night it is astounding the people that call into these programs that are just blind followers without a single neuron working toward the goal of original thought. And I say this as something that applies to both sides of the aisle because on too many occasions the basis of some of these arguments comes down to the fact that they think a certain politician (or a group of politicians) is a doody head.  

Idiocracy reigns and all the people live in blissful ignorance. It seems as though we are living in a H.G. Wells novella waiting to be summoned to the dark recesses of the earth and sacrificed “for the greater good”. While the goal is to do whatever they can to save a single life keep in mind that they didn’t mean you. We are responsible for ourselves not everyone around us. While we are, in many respects, our brother’s keeper we are not going to let our brother be responsible for our death.

See, the above may sound good and I may say something in the same manner on occasion but there really isn’t any substance to what was just said. The above boils down to the fact that I don’t like whomever I am speaking about and frankly I think they are a bunch of doody heads. Much of the public debate is not red or blue; it’s a deep shade of brown.

Lincoln Stood Proud With His Party

Wednesday (yes, I'm late with this writeup) was another Commonwealth Club day but it was a little different this time around. It was nice walking into the room sure of myself and, for the first time since I joined, happy with my job. That factor really does permeate your life. If you doing like going to work it is going to be had to flick the switch when you go somewhere else.

And I will tell you it is a really good thing that I enjoy where I’m working again because I brought my new boss as my guest to the luncheon in the Lincoln Room at the Union League in Philadelphia. Can’t say that there were a lot of people at my previous PR firm that would have joined me in fact I can think of a couple who would have probably been standing outside with something written on a piece of poster board. But that is the past I am determined to enjoy the present and look forward to the future.

This is why I was particularly interested to hear State Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi speak. In the midst of the shutdown what is happening on the state level is made more difficult and some of the important items are overlooked by the same people it would impact the most including the state budget. There are many other items that are being discussed that the people of this commonwealth should be taking note of. Pay attention to what is happening on the local level, that is where the immediate impact is going to come from.

We are in a good financial state where new jobs are streaming in. Believe me, I know what it’s like to not feel that is the case but the commonwealth’s job growth is indeed a reality. Fiscal responsibility on the state level is what has minimized the impact of the shutdown and will allow for a solvent state beyond the capabilities of many.

After a very nice lunch and some wonderful words from the guest and hosts alike, it was time to get up and mingle. It was time to circle up with acquaintances which are slowly becoming friends and to introduce my guest to those I have gotten to know this past year. As in the past, everyone has proven to be genuine and friendly regardless of the position, occupation, race, gender, activism, etc of the person with whom they were speaking. It really was a lunch spent in the city.

Now I will simply wait for the next meeting which should be a more convenient night meeting. I am curious to find out who the guest speaker will be as well as hear the recap of the elections which are approaching fast and will surely be before the next meeting. Until then I will continue to yell at the radio, shake my head at the television, and berate the newspaper.

American Pie: Part II

Being the youngest of three growing up I was exposed to all different kinds of music. On any given day I would hear different artists and different genres either by way of records, cassette tapes actually, played by my brother and sister to radio stations that my parents had set in their cars. And while I remember my mom listening to stations that mixed songs from various decades what still stands out in my mind is getting in my dad’s car and listening to the oldies station.

Back then, the oldies station played songs from my dad’s youth, the 50’s and early to mid 60’s, mainly consisting of Motown and early Rock 'n' Roll classics. Even when I was younger, I was never one to pay much attention to the latest hits. Only on the rare occasion would I listen to new songs or new artists which made those car rides with my father even better because I liked that kind of music and I still do to this day.

The problem these days is that the oldies station is no longer the oldies station. When I turn the dial to the same station today, I can usually only hear a couple of those songs and only if I were to be listening the entire day. They are dominated by music from the late 60’s and 70’s (and now even the 80’s). Livin’ On A Prayer (Bon Jovi) is NOT an oldie but it was played on the local oldies station this morning.

What happened to Buddy Holly and Bill Haley? How can we expect this generation to appreciate some of the classics from the beginning of the Rock 'n' Roll era? Have you heard some of the stuff that is playing on the radio these days? This generation needs to hear more than just the occasional song by Elvis Presley or The Supremes song. They need to hear what I heard growing up. They need to have access to an oldies station not a retro remix.

I’m sure that someone will comment that you can find an oldies station on Serius. The issue I have with that is that I don’t want to have to pay in order to listen to the radio. I just want a simple oldies station to stay true to its title and play oldies.

Of course, maybe it is simply a sign of getting older when the oldies are no longer oldies and the songs of your youth begin filtering through the airwaves. To heck with that! Not everything needs to be changed. Bring back the oldies station and come up with something else to fill in the middle.