As Simple as I Can Make It

 

I will first give a bit of a disclaimer that I am not trying to “mansplain” the below items and even more so I am not claiming to be an expert in race relations or racism. What I am, is a white, cisgender, hetero male who has a bit of valuable perspective (Of course, we all think that don’t we?) and much like everyone else, an opinion.  

 

A (white) co-worker of mine asked me a few days ago to define white privilege. Certainly not an easy task, but one as a social worker I do take seriously. My response was pretty murky; “Depends on who you ask and what their experience is, some would say there’s no such thing, others would say it’s changed their life for the better… or the worse”. She asked that I write something outlining my thoughts (namely a research article) on the topic, but I don’t feel academic scholars are necessarily going to define this in a way that helps any of us. However, now that I have had time to think about the topic, I would say the first step is to define privilege in a social context on its own. Therefore, according to lil’ ole’ me; privilege is any advantage(s) bestowed upon a person through personal characteristics they are born into or come into via lifestyle decisions, spoken or unspoken that places them in a better position to secure opportunities over others. It bears mentioning that privilege can drop into one’s life in many forms (religion, socioeconomic, geographic etc). For me, that may mean these basic demographics (white, cisgender, hetero male) equate to me winning the biopsychosocial lottery.

            Admittedly, even without all that academia defining privilege can still be a mouthful, right? So let’s break it down while focusing just on specifically white privilege.

Being White- Advantage

            Some people may say; “How is being white an advantage? My life isn’t easy. I have had to work and scrape my whole life just to get by”. Well, boo-boo it’s called “white privilege”, not “white guaranteed free ride with no resistance 100% of the time”. Frankly, people (I’d argue most people) are more comfortable with those like them. You may have gotten into that doctor that was all booked up for someone else because the scheduler thought your name sounded “more white”.

Born Into- Advantage

            You may have gotten mental health treatment at a young age simply because your parents could afford to live in an affluent zip code that had a clinic you could visit. Somebody somewhere else wasn’t so lucky and their mental health might’ve worsened into their adulthood as a result. See how both lives could be changed dramatically just based on that one seemingly minor occurrence?

Spoken or Unspoken- Advantage

            The potential what-ifs are astounding, more on that later though. The focal point currently in these first two examples is you may not even know you benefitted (hence unspoken).

            On the other hand, have you ever been told you got a job or a promotion because your boss wasn’t willing to hire that “Indian dot-not-feather lady” or that “Oriental”? Ideally, all bigots would operate overtly and at least we’d know where we stand*. However, the question becomes if you were told such a thing, or even suspected it, would you still take the position? Would you even question your boss?

Better Positioning for Opportunities- Advantage

            All of the above scenarios, while hypothetical, work together to give a leg up to you based on the amount of melanin, or lack thereof, you might have.

            Again, some might ask, “David, if there are more people of color in power positions today, how is it that white privilege can still exist?” Simple, boo-boo, for generations those in power (namely the white and the rich) have done such a great job of indoctrinating people, they’ve managed to convince most people of color that white people are “better” in some form or fashion. There is reporting to back this up in several forms; one such example is how police officers of color are forced to conform to the ways of their white peers and utilize police practices that target people of color over whites.  

Simple as Can Be

            The culprit for any type of privilege is bias. The problem is this bias can often be subconscious. Meaning, on a given day, if you are asked if you are racist, you may answer honestly by saying, “No”. On the contrary, if a driver later cuts you off in traffic and the first thing you use to describe them while you’re cursing them is a racial slur, you might want to do some self-examination.

            Look, I realize that this less than 1,000-word essay isn’t going to result in the elimination of privilege or racism. Yet, all of us, people that are impacted by privilege on both sides need to be honest about its benefits and existence so that we can do our best to reduce its impact.

 

 

Image found at: https://www.sbs.com

*Most whites I know (myself included) have been subjected to casual racism in the form of a joke that is in poor taste. I feel this is one way for racists to “test the waters” with their white acquaintances to see if they need to call their hood supplier and schedule you a fitting. My advice is, awkwardness be damned, you call those people out immediately. If it’s a work setting and you are afraid of risking your job, then find a new one, that’s no excuse. My hope would be that if a room full of Islamic guys were trashing WASPs, someone would have the scruples to speak up on your behalf. Even if the answer is no, hold yourself to a higher standard and do the right thing.

 

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HOUSE OF RANT

White Guy's Rant on Racism and Discrimination

Hi, I'm white and daring to talk to you about discrimination. But wait, don't click off the article yet! I think my opinion is fair and balanced- but not in a Fox News kinda way!

            At any rate, as far as racial discrimination I personally have not experienced it, but definitely have witnessed it in a general sense. As a white male it does pain me to admit that I have been in the company of other white men who have felt it appropriate to trade racial slurs about certain collective groups, or even specific people. Of course, this was done in the absence of anyone of color. Sadly, at a few jobs that I had when younger, these were often members of management who thought this way and expressed these thoughts with who was promoted into supervisory positions. I might add, it takes wisdom and tact (that I surely did not posses when younger) to be able to discuss the inherent wrong with racial preferences and stereotypes with co-workers. For instance at that time, I would not have been capable of properly articulating the fact that most views held regarding race are fabricated and that race itself is a social construct (Vietze, Jones, Dovidio, Sommers-Flanagan, & Sommers-Flanagan, 2017).

            Finally, on a personal level, growing up with cerebral palsy I have had a few incidents where I have been on the receiving end of discriminatory practices. For instance, during a job interview that required a physical, after disclosing I had cerebral palsy, I was made to go back and retake the physical, despite having passed the first attempt. This led me to cease disclosing my disability for many years thereafter. It was awkward and too difficult to explain easily. Moreover, even if was not treated differently in a negative way, I was overly helped along due to a perception of inability, which I’d argue, is almost as bad. Due to these experiences I can at least begin to see the reason why those that have the ability to not disclose something that might be...umm shall we say 'unaccepted' by the masses (such as sexual preference), choose not to do so. Naturally, this does little for those who cannot hide who they are, such as with race. However, in either case no one should be forced to deny their true selves but for the ignorance of another.   

References

Falender, C. A., Shafranske, E. P., & Falicov, C. J. (2014). Reflective practice: Culture in self and other. In C. A. Falender, E. P. Shafranske, & C. J. Falicov (Eds.), Multiculturalism and diversity in clinical supervision: A competency-based approach. (pp. 273–281). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. 

Vietze, D. L., Jones, J. M., Dovidio, J. F., Sommers-Flanagan, J., & Sommers-Flanagan, R. (2017). Ethics and Cultural Diversity in Mental Health & Wellness. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

F#ckin' Mortality

                I have found that with my skewed view on life that death no longer frightens me, it’s the thought of not livin’ that seems so bad*.

                Me being old doesn’t seem so frightening.

                What I never prepared for is the fact that those around me would grow old as well.

                Look at my heroes; Doc, Van Gogh, Bieber – all of these poets, artists, men ahead of their time, died young.   

                Fact is, I see everyone around me getting older. My want is to stop them. But I have already seemingly sold my soul for myself. I can do nothing for them, other than what I have done for myself.

                The creaks in my joints, the lack of hair on my head, don’t concern me. Because the rest of you are getting older every day.  I see you out there, so tragic, so paralyzed and perplexed by the circumstances life throws at you. Yet, I have envisioned all these things.  Note that dealing with them comes no easier.

                I am pretty sure Tom Petty is dead. Far as I remember he was releasing stellar music videos on 90’s MTV. That was a few days ago.

                Fact is, mortality catches up to us all. I can recall having a conversation with my friend Johnny about the “end of the world”. Way back in 2012, when briefly we thought the Mayans knew what was up.  He said, “They say the world may end in a couple months. That’s the end of the WHOLE world.”

                My reply was cool, and cold; “Nah, the world won’t end, the sad fact is it will just keep going. That’s the reckoning. That’s what we deserve.”

                 I spoke as if I were in DCU. It was sad, mostly because Justice League hadn’t been released yet.  

               

*Credit to Joe Diffie, among other lesser philosophers

#hithole

                First off, I’d like to start this post with a disclaimer:

                I typically do not get much into politics, which you could argue runs against my ideals as a social worker. However, before you judge, hear me out. Contemporary politics are more about party and profiteering, less about people, and certainly not about progress. This has been the case for years.

                Thus, my position as an American citizen is that if you are waiting for a politician (Republican, Democrat, whatever) or government entity to help you, then you are going to be sorely disappointed.  In the same vein, the social worker in me says that the best positioned person to help you is, well you. The tools of resiliency and empowerment go a long way towards bettering yourself.

                Sincerely,

                David I WriteStuff

                We now return you to your not-so-regularly scheduled rant…

*             *             *

                There has been a great deal of media attention given to President Trump and his [alleged] use of vulgarity and racially charged comments. As such, I felt obliged to weigh in on the current kerfuffle involving these [alleged] comments regarding certain lesser-developed countries during a meeting about DACA. Particularly, the President is stated to have remarked that certain countries, Haiti among them, were nothing but “shithole” countries. He [allegedly] went on to even question the very notion of why we would even consider letting in immigrants from these countries to the United States.

                There are three points I’d like to address about this:

                1) I have no doubt that Trump uttered these words       

                To begin, I have no doubt that President Trump would refer to any number of lesser-developed nations by the term “shithole”. He has demonstrated that his character and vocabulary are oafish and limited. Further, I can only hypothesis that he is the latest in a long line of government officials- perhaps even presidents- that have uttered similar sentiments in service to this country. To take things even a step further, I would argue that the majority of the American public likely holds these countries in the same dim view.

                That doesn’t make remarks like this okay, nor does it give Trump a pass. That makes these thoughts a bias inherent to a majority of Americans. This also means through education, and oh gee, I don’t know maybe meeting someone from Haiti, these myths can be dispelled.

                2) Circle of Trust

                Building on what I’ve said above, I believe that most everyone has said something in the heat of the moment that was perhaps off-color or inappropriate. Usually, the smart ones among us do so in a circle of close friends, family, or business acquaintances that we trust.

                What I mean is usually, when these things slip out, we apologize, and/or those around us know our character well enough to know that one statement does not, nor could not define us.

                Unfortunately, for the President he made the mistake of spewing whatever comments he made in front of those with which he had no rapport (It was in fact, a bi-partisan DACA meeting). That coupled with the fact that Trump has already had a questionable history when it comes to shall we say, “less-than-acceptable” (or accurate) statements. These things together create an environment where several around him are poised to react defensively.

                This leads us to a point where you now have Democrats and Republicans who attended the meeting bickering over what was said versus not said. This is equally as shameful as uttering the words themselves.

                3) Deny, deny, deny

                What disappoints me the most is the fact that as President, Trump seems incapable of admitting fault. This marks only the latest scenario in which he denies what he said, and tries to rewrite history, in spite of other people clearly being present.

                I learned early on in my business career that if you make a mistake, own up to it. It is only then that you can begin to correct the mistake. Not to mention, these two things are essential in improving your integrity, and reputation.

                Some detractors may ask, “But David, how do you know he said these horrible things? And if he didn’t why should he fess up to something he didn’t even do?”

                Elementary my dear readers; Trump denies (or attempts to outmaneuver) anything that flies back into his face as overly controversial in order to save face. In fact, he has a heaping track record of doing so, well before he took office. In fact, if it weren’t for denials, backpedaling and distraction that Twitter account of his would be nearly dormant.

               

                To close, I feel that President Trump would be truly amazed at how fast this “news story” would go away if he would just admit any wrongdoing and actually attempt to do so some follow-up in the name of self-improvement.  However, I won’t be holding my breath while waiting for him to do so.

               

The Prayers You Didn't Know You Needed

It's been a rough week.  

First, Monday greeted me with some political-correct, snowflake, triggered horseshit at work. By Tuesday I found out that I was at least 1 course short of graduating with my Criminal Justice Minor. Finally, mid-week was capped off by some human splooge tossing a full Polar Pop 32oz beverage at me from his car window while I was running. 

Yes, it's true, I lead an exciting life. 

Luckily, in all these instances I have the certainty that I'll be okay. One of these scenarios I escaped completely unscathed as the Polar Pop cup missed me completely.   

While I am slightly worried about the issue with my Minor, I have confidence that it will be worked out one way or another.  

As far as the problem with work, miraculously I wasn’t a part of the issue referenced, so I appear to be "safe" from the administrative wrath. Of course, that being said, I plan to stand with my team in defiance of such ridiculousness.  

All this mess got me thinking: How many times have I been spared being the victim of some negative event?  

You might think this is overly deep thinking for a cynic such as myself. It may surprise you to know that I actually am fairly spiritual. I don't mean "spiritual" in the current vernacular of rubbing crystals, shopping at Whole Foods and refusing to wear deodorant (not that there's anything wrong with that).  

What I mean by spiritual is I pray to God, but I am far from religious. In fact, I think religion is the worst thing to happen to faith in the history of humankind.  

After that Circle K Polar Pop cup missed me, I prayed. I thanked God for that cup missing me as I thought about what might've been inside it, what the person that threw it might have been thinking.  

This then brought further self-reflection: How many times have I been spared being the victim of some negative event that I wasn’t even aware of?  

Was I almost the victim of a robbery but the would-be perpetrator lost their nerve? Was I nearly killed in a traffic accident but the driver that caused it returned home because they forget something?  

The possibilities are endless and they really make you think. They also make you pray a thankful prayer.  

Job Hunt

            Shh. Don’t make a sound! There it is in the distance. It’s a job…Oh my, it’s a beaut’! Wonderful benefits, amazing pay, and oh my- could it be? It has weekends off!

            No for Christ Sake’s don’t move- you’ll spook it! Stay still; let me handle this I’ve got just the thing to take ‘er down. What is it you ask? My fully loaded tactical resume. It’s got enough qualifications and near-fantasy bragging to put down any job.

             Ok I’ve got to wait for just the right moment. Hold your breath. Ready. Aim. Fire!

            Oh hell, that shot went wide. Really, really wide. And…yep I’ve spooked it, there it goes.

            It’s gone. And oh, wait someone else got it to boot.

            Shit, oh well let’s hunker down and wait for another…

            So, as you might’ve guessed from reading the above I’ve been job hunting, and it’s a lot like what I’ve written. I have a rather impressive (IMHO) resume. The problem is it’s in an industry completely different from where I’m currently looking. And it’s because of this frustration that I feel a rant is in order. I think we have a highly outdated and ultimately archaic method to recruit, hire and maintain talent in our society. And here are the top 5 things I just don’t get about job hunting and hoops that employers make potential employees go through to get that ever elusive job:

5)  Never taking a chance on a “different” candidate

Hire. Resign. Repeat. This is typical of most high turnover workplaces and it means that employers are in a constant state of flux; training, rehiring and the like. But why?

My theory is that it’s because they are conditioned to hire what looks good on paper, but never works out in reality (that whole theory vs. practice thing). Certain jobs take certain types of mentalities, that’s no secret, but some skills are usually also in line with particular personalities and character types. The aloof person may not be the best at detail-hearty tasks. Likewise, the polished multi-tasker may not be able to sit and focus on one repetitive thing with nothing else to occupy their mind. This isn’t wrong or right, but it can lead to getting the same stagnant “type” in a position, and that may also lead to finding a replacement due to this ill-suited individual seeking a more appropriate position for themselves elsewhere.  

4)  Not realizing skills are transitional from one environment to another

Twenty years of work experience is a twenty years of work experience, with few exceptions. I don’t believe that years selling cars qualifies you to perform brain surgery, but I do believe that critical thinking, problem solving and a strong work ethic is universal. Employers tend not to see a good candidate that may need some refining to familiarize themselves with operating procedure, but once that’s done those years of experience (even in another industry) are like rocket fuel. You get a great payoff for minimal investment because a talented person can transition their strengths into varying areas.  

3)  Interviews where nearly everything involved is fake

What is the main determining factor in getting a job in today’s workplace? Ah, that’s right the interview. That act where the potential hire dresses in clothes they likely wouldn’t normally wear, answers inane prepared questions they’ve probably either researched or answered a dozen times in another interview and acts like they are nice and generally care about a company and a cause. Seems like a great way to select someone who is going to ultimately be a letdown, or at the very least, not what you expected based on a first impression.

Why not have a candidate job shadow for a couple hours? See what the job actually entails versus a perfectly crafted HR description that always ends with “other duties as assigned” anyway.  Think of it; your potential candidate gets a first look at the way the company runs on a typical day, and you (or an employee) can see their willingness to assist, ask questions, discuss the business, or even offer different perspective on operational tasks.

2) No follow up

We’ve all had this happen to us, you crafted your resume, you wore your best outfit, you bathed and even answered all the right questions in all the right ways. But alas, the phone never rings. You botched something? Interviewer didn’t like your tie or handbag? You dinged the boss’ car on the way out of the parking lot?
If you were impressive, or at least impressive enough to get a call for an interview, why no follow up on what was lacking? Now granted the first thing a hiring manager will say is that they do not have the time to contact a dismissed candidate and help them figure out what dots didn’t get connected. However, I would argue the opposite; you don’t have the time not to. If you, as a hiring manager, are picking unsuitable candidates based on resumes that don’t live up to their potential in person, than my guess is your going to be spending a great deal of time spinning your wheels in that interview room, and beyond that, looking for new candidates after the current crop exit due to lack of job satisfaction or fit (see #5).

Think of it this way, perhaps that guy or gal that you felt wouldn’t have made the best contracts clerk, would be a good fit for another position that happened to open up after the fact? There, you just saved yourself some time, and helped develop a better method to help you recognize who might be better suited for a particular role.

1) Filling out an online resume (or paper resume) when I’ve just given you a copy of my resume!

This is the biggest waste of time on both the employer’s side and the prospective employee. If you’re online and you’re filling out an application and you attach your resume, why on God’s green mud ball do you need to then spend the next hour filling in those same details in tiny little boxes on several different pages of the application?

This goes double for any employer that still utilizes paper applications. Just read my damn resume- after all that’s why I put it together!

Besides, you will learn more from me by way of the personal style indicated in my resume than you will from me writing in fill in the blank answers on some bureaucratic form.

Ok, there that’s it, that’s my big five…and by the lack of activity in my bank account I know that I still don’t have a steady paycheck coming in, so I better get back out on the hunt.

            Wish me luck, and thanks for reading!

All the Times

When was the last time you cried?

Have you blocked it out? Have you never? Or at least it’s nothing you’d admit to?

However, can you recall the last time you smiled? When you laughed last?

I think to some extent we all hope and pray for a life less ordinary, not thinking as we do that less ordinary may not always be positive. We crave action, adventure, love, lust, passion, fame, fortune…All the while thinking that when we get them it will ultimately lead to satisfaction, the satiating of some primal thirst, our idea of happiness.

After some thought, I think that this might be a misguided way to demand drama, to call for misfortune. The most troubling piece of the human condition is its addiction to fickleness. We are junkies for stimulation and agitation. We are quick to leave what’s comfortable and content for the mere empty promise of a thrill. When that thrill fails us, we are then left cowering with regret.

Again, when was the last time you cried?

Was it because of someone else? Perhaps it was. Even so, it likely in no small measure the indirect terminus of decisions that you yourself made. Decisions that came about because you weren’t happy to begin with, you shunned contentment and went out on your own, with the name of exploration on your lips, but perchance something very different in your heart.  

Remember this the next time you feel that phantom of the rambler try and take your hand. Seeking you when times are not necessarily bad, but even simply the mundane. It will whisper that things can be more exciting elsewhere. It pours lies into your waiting ears, making you forget that what you now have was at one point everything you ever wanted. And maybe still is.

The person that seeks respite from a life without trouble will undoubtedly find it.. It’s an unfortunate fact that we have to take the bad with the good, otherwise the good would be the mundane, and become lost in the everyday. Recall that whether great, horrible, or indifferent, all the times of your life matter. In an incalculable and cosmic way, the sum is greater than the parts.

There, now you’ve cried for the last time.

See You in the Funny Papers

Ahh, comic books, that microcosm of literature that somehow manages to work every internet nerd into a steely-eyed, froth-mouth frenzy of rage if one tiny thing is changed about the characters they’ve followed from the time they were old enough to read, up until present day, where they rant with their keyboards via their parents Wi-Fi connection. All the typical things like “You ruined my childhood!” and “This isn’t canon!” and “My mom got me Cool ranch Doritos instead of Nacho cheese!”

                We’ve been seeing changes from both Marvel, as well as DC as they provide their respective universes with a bit more diversity, and even enable writers to start with a new approach to classic heroes in order to attract new fans.

                As of this writing, the latest item that’s filling Marvel’s hate mail (Do people still actually send letters anymore? Or is all internet hate directed via online forums and email?) is their decision to “retire” Tony Stark and replace him with a 15 year old GASP! African-American DOUBLE-GASP! girl! TRIPLE-GASP!   

                Immediately thereafter, all the narrow-minded, stuck in the past, obsolete fan boys (and maybe girls?) scream their collective disapproval, and then shit themselves in disbelief.

                In recent times we’ve also had DCs New 52, and now DC’s Rebirth, along with Marvel creating Marvel Now, and not to mention their efforts at making Miles Morales (the new Spider-Man), female Thor, New Wolverine (X-23) and so on and so forth…and in all these instances at least a segment of the comic fan base became irate and complained endlessly.

                Obviously, I’m writing about this because I have an opinion, and here’s where I’ll tell you what it is…

                …As at least a casual comic book fan since 1992 I think this type of thing is amazing and here’s why:

                As a fan, in many of these heroes’ cases we’ve seen them in action for nearly three-quarters of a century (or more). More or less, every story arc that can be done has been. We’ve seen them beat up every manner of bad guy (or gal), we’ve seen them love and lose, we’ve seen them fight our other favorite heroes, we’ve seen them broken, lose everything, and even die, only to come back as if nothing ever happened. Why on earth would you want to have writers rehash the same story, and cover the same ground that’s been done for decades?

                As a writer (term used loosely, I am a filthy, filthy amateur) rebooting, or retooling these characters provides fertile ground to yield fresh ideas. When you think of Wolverine for instance, it’s a safe bet you know the origin, the experiences, the famous battles and moments of his fictional life. Further, I could argue, due to Wolverine’s personality, you can almost predict (based on circumstance), where the character will end up. But you don’t know X-23’s because they haven’t been written yet! You see what I’m getting at?

                As a capitalist, I can also understand why Marvel in particular can’t just say, well fans want more diversity in their heroes, so let’s create a brand new one. Names like Iron Man, Thor and Spider-Man are more than just household names; they are brands in and of themselves! It could conceivably take years to build up the popularity and name recognition of a new hero or heroine, and why risk that when from a creative perspective it lends itself to produce dynamic ideas that haven’t been done before?

                Personally, some of my favorite books are the ones that never took place in their respective universe’s continuity. Books like Old Man Logan, Marvel Zombies, Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe are all great because they break the rules of what you might expect from certain characters, settings or origin stories. In other words, I want to see something new!

                In short, to all you naysayers out there: STFU!

                Only after, the new Iron Man (Wo-man?, Girl?? Person???) is released then and only then do I give you permission to whine, piss and moan.

                Actually, no I take that back, we still don’t want to hear your ridiculous opinions, and to be clear no one cares about your childhood.

Bro, Do You Even Joke?

                It must be a hard life when you have little to no sense of humor. Worse yet must be those who have friends who are religiously committed to being serious, the type that are perpetually unfunny, and wouldn’t know a joke if was written by Sam Kinison, delivered by Johnny Carson as a guest character on The Simpsons and then showed up in their Facebook feed as part of a meme about not knowing a damned joke was in the first place.

                A hard life indeed.

                I don’t know what these people do in life, but I can speculate: They don’t laugh as much as the rest of us, they don’t find humor in nearly all (ok actually all) aspects of life, and they are probably really stressed out most of the time. Oh, and they are constipated- granted I’ve nothing to base this on, but I’m just throwing it out there that they can’t be regular, can they?

                A few things though are tell-tale about the lifestyles of these sad sacks and how they spend their free time.

Psst, this is the part where I call out people for participating (or failing to participate) in things I don’t like, or have no interest in.

1)      Cards Against Humanity

a.       Now I can already tell that I’ve struck a nerve with some of you. I get it, it’s a popular game, manufactured by a great team of people who donate to charity (If you consider Wikipedia “charity”). But I don’t give a shit. The premise of this game to me screams “I am not witty enough to say anything funny on my own, so let me string a few random things together and see what happens…” (draws cards) “Harry Potter, testicular cancer, teabagging. Am I funny? Someone tell me I’m funny?”

b.      Further, I also think those that are seriously into this game have been either stifled creativity-wise as children or Mom and Dad never let an off color word fly in their household growing up. Either way they are dying for attention.

2)      They can’t make conversation

a.       You ever sat next to that person on a plane that you know is just not going to let you have a moment’s peace, because they are going to talk your damn ear off, and you are oh-so-very-sorry for making eye contact with them by accident when you first boarded.

Well, that person is an asshole, and turns out rare. So if I’m traveling alone, I’d much rather take the chance of running into Chatty Charlie than reading a book, or screwing around with my phone (which I’ll get to in a moment)- and this is coming from ME – a guy that generally dislikes…oh what are those things called out there in the world…oh ya- PEOPLE!

But it’s been my experience that most people feign disinterest (sometimes to the point of being rude) because they can’t actually talk to someone for any length of time, about something, nothing or anything. Granted, this is arguably a skill that is fading the world over with the increasing pressure to be social only through media and connect via technology rather than in person, but I digress.

3)      Cell Phone Love

a.       You’ve seen them, those lost souls with their craned necks and bad posture, staring dismally as they try to focus their eyes on a small, dim screen permanently attached to their fingertips. Talk about the walking dead…and to add to that actual factual science has now found that people that overly employ their cell phones as entertainment may lose the ability to entertain themselves without one.

This one’s hard to refute folks- you can argue with me about Cards and Conversation because that’s just me ranting about stuff (It’s my blog, it’s the internet, where else am I supposed to complain?) but this is actual scientific research! Science, that thing you’d never thought you’d use after you graduated. No wait that was math. Anyway, if you want to read it for yourself, click HERE.

                In the end, I realize that everyone has his or her own talent to draw from, but for the sake of the rest of us, those of you that have an underdeveloped sense of humor need to get out there and exercise it!