How to Capitalism

I've been told since I was little that my work ethic would get me everywhere I need to go. Now that I'm a grown ass man and both reaped the benefits and suffered the consequences of having and neglecting my work ethic, I feel it's appropriate to address a few things.

We are coming out of one of the greatest pandemics the modern world has known, and one of the consequences, at least here in the United States, is the Great Recession. The older generations think that all these people quitting their job have no work ethic, while the people quitting believe their work ethics aren't being adequately compensated.

Working in a restaurant during this time has really opened my eyes to things. It's helped me to understand that most restaurant patrons know nothing about how things work, from what it takes to make hundreds of meals in an hour to how to attempt proper dinner manners in public. It's given me sympathy for other services, like teaching and nursing for example, who are in similar situations, barely making enough money to scrape by while simultaneously being trusted with the very lives of the people using their services, often accompanied with criticism over gratitude.

The common flaw in most of these situations is higher management, like the hospital CEO making seven figures and golfing while the doctors are buried in student loan debt and nurses are working crazy hours and dealing with hostile patients and their families who will likely be set back months financially for whatever is going on just for being there. Same goes for the superintendents of schools or the CEO of a fast food chain or a big box grocer.

Money doesn't corrupt everyone, and there are individuals who are swinging their particular hammers at what they deem appropriate. Some billionaires are building revolutionary new technologies, others are helping give groundbreaking access to vaccinations. But everyday people are drifting away from empathy, seeking the prize of monetary consumption, and not understanding that overconsumption is usually deemed a disease.

Be mindful when you are spending your money, not only where you're spending it but how. 

The Grind

Today, I worked the post-double morning shift. It was rough. I'm tired. But it's okay, because it's money, and we need that.

The Power of the Checklist

I keep a detailed and thorough to-do list. I use Google Keep for the maximum level of organization. I used to keep my list in a little flip note-pad that i kept in my backpack. Since I've switched, I've been able to digitize my system and enhance it, track it, and record it. This past Friday, i checked one hundred and twenty four things off my list. I think that's a personal best, but i haven't put it in the chart yet. We'll see what the future holds. I'm up to 72 so far today...

Music Everywhere

I can't imagine any chapter of my life without a soundtrack.

Productivity In Spite of the World

Today, i focused on my home. I went down my chore list. I got a ton of stuff done, and I'm still ramping through. I even took a break to have a McDonald's picnic with my kiddos. Every day is an adventure.

The Impact of Small Things

Back in the late 1960s, Star Trek was a fledging science fiction show featuring a diverse cast and portraying an optimistic view of the future.

One of those cast members, Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Nyoto Uhura, wanted to quit the show, saying her character, a black woman in a short skirt, was little more than eye candy on the mostly white, male command center. Her communications officer position was rarely part of the action.

Before quitting, legend has it that civil rights icon Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. himself called Nichelle Nichols on the telephone, spoke to her of the importance of her role, for little black girls all over the world to see a future where they're part of the command crew, too. He implored her to stay with her role.

Fast forward almost sixty years. Another civil rights icon, Stacey Abrams, was featured in the latest Star Trek Iteration: Discovery. Miss Abrams herself played a character, and not just a background bridge officer. Stacey Abrams played the President of Earth.

We've come a long way.

The Rise of Freckle Face

Today i sit here at the Chaffee County Fairgrounds in a big, empty concrete floor gymnasium. The occasion is roller derby practice. The competitor whose corner I'm representing is for Freckle Face. She's a fierce second grader who likes mini golf and LOL Surprise dolls. She's loud, opinionated, and is small enough to sneak in between your lame jammers.