MAU Safety Corner

Shouting and arguing is no fun at all.  One question that often leads to arguments between little kids is:  “Who’s responsible for this mess?”  This question is typically followed by little fingers accusingly pointing in different directions joined by shouting and arguing.  I call this the “Blame Zone.”  In this instance, discovering who created the mess may be impossible to figure out.  The Blame Zone is annoying with kids but when adults get stuck in a Blame Zone the finger pointing may become down right ugly! 

Do you listen to classic rock?  I freely admit that I do quite regularly.  I love to hear Roger Daltrey of The Who bellow this probing question: Who are you?  Since 1978 this all-to-well-known, progressive rock anthem has managed to intrigue bell-bottom-clad rockers both old and young with that pretty-darn-good question that we should make it a point to evaluate periodically: Who are you?  Think about it, to satisfactorily answer this deep query into one’s self requires more than just an obvious name response like Buba O’Riley, Dr. Jimmy or Boris the Spider.  Name only is an insufficient answer if we aim to truly understand the who-are-you puzzle.  In fact, to quench the parched thirst of a sincere identity examination, one must gaze deeply into the soul, far, far behind those blue eyes to grasp the complete answer. 

Wallflowers are under appreciated.  I’m not talking about the rock band fronted by Jakob Dylan, son of 60’s Rock legend Bob Dylan.  No…  I’m talking about the unassuming, shy, serious, soft-spoken, thoughtful folks that would rather read a book than attend a party.  You know, the sort of introspective-types that tend to spend their energy quietly going about their days inconspicuously.  These docile listeners are commonly labeled “introverts.”  It’s a shame that society mistakenly overlooks these quiet ones’ contributions and overly acknowledges and rewards the aggressive, outspoken, hard-charging social go-getters.  Think about it:  the social spot-light shines brightest on the accomplishments of successful attention seekers like Donald Trump, Shaquille O’Neal and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – all unashamed extraverts.  At the same time, society doesn’t often immediately recall the quiet, yet significant, accomplishments of Warren Buffet, John Stockton and Rosa Parks – all accomplished introverts.    

It is what it is.  A bold, commonly used statement that attempts to establish, with finality, all that sums up “it.”  And that is, what “it” is.  Hah!  I like it!  It feels tantalizingly satisfying to utter the words again and again.  And the versatility…  “It is what it is” can be used so many ways: a warning statement, a pitiful excuse or even a desperate plea for help.  However, I confess the way in which this conclusive statement is used occasionally lends itself to much confusion, especially if it is used creatively.  No matter how many times this shining A-list statement is unabashedly, clearly declared and at times unapologetically misused, you must agree that it is always refreshing to say, “It is what it is,” and that is yummy to my lexicon! 

Feeling Lucky?  I am!  Why you ask?  Because I am a proud Seattle Seahawks fan and for years I have endured disappointing football seasons, been the recipient of countless jokes and even received an occasional sympathy from more successful NFL football team fans.   A few weeks ago, my Seahawks played the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night football.  That night, the whole world (seriously – have you seen NFL viewer rating?) watched a close game that came down to the final play where a hail mary pass was thrown into Seattle’s end zone.  Packers and Seahawks scrummed for position then jumped in the air to grab hold of that ball sailing toward them.  At first, a Seahawk receiver looked like he had the ball. As the players collided and fell back to earth, the ball appeared to be in the grasp of a Packer.  I sighed with disappointment like I’m used to doing during Seahawks games, when I noticed one referee (one of those replacement guys) signaled touchdown!  To my amazement, the play was ruled a touchdown and the Seahawks won!  Lucky?  Undoubtedly so!  ESPN has since showed the replay countless times, and I see a Packer with that ball and not a Seahawk.  The win doesn’t really seem like it belongs to Seattle so am I embarrassed with that win?  Slightly, but I push my embarrassment aside and embrace my reflective success, call it luck and graciously accept the win.  Praise the football gods:  the Seahawks got lucky and won due to a bad call! 

Have you recovered yet from lack of sleep due to late nights spent watching the Summer Olympics?  I finally have thanks to my new, ultra-comfortable memory foam mattress.  There are few adequate words to express the dreamy bliss of the soft - yet firm - cool magic nest that is my new mattress.  Can you tell I love this mattress?  After 14 long years sleeping on a spring mattress, my wife and I purchased our new, amazing bed a day before the summer games began in London; hence, my conflict.  I also love the Olympics!  I can’t find sufficiently satisfying superlatives to describe the awesomeness of all that the Olympics represent.  It’s drama of the highest order where elite athletes compete as titans on a world stage with their country’s hopes and reputation at stake. 

MAU Workforce Solutions will be hosting an OSHA 10 Hour General Industry Outreach Training Course at the Marion Hatcher Center in Augusta, GA.

A few summers ago, I was assigned to work night-shift security for a youth group camping trip.  One of my security responsibilities at this camp was to protect the kids from hostile intruders.  Having worked a security job in college, I knew a little something about being a security guard, and I’m not ashamed to admit that, for this gig, I was anxious to dust off my old security skills and protect the camp at all costs.  It turned out, for that entire 12-hour shift, I didn’t encounter anyone awake; however, I did encounter a threat of another nature: wild skunks everywhere!  I’m not talking about kids that had eaten chili for dinner.  I’m talking about the furry black creatures with a white stripe that, when threatened, spray you with liquid nastiness that only washes off with elixir you wouldn’t normally bathe with.  My extensive security training didn’t prepare me for skunks.  So, what do you think I did?  Fast-forward to this year’s camping gig.

“Many miles away, something crawls from the slime, at the bottom of a dark Scottish lake.”

Have you ever had a conversation with a person who vehemently believes in Big Foot?  Just to let you know, I’m not a Big Foot believer.  In fact, when it comes to critters that can’t be found alive in a zoo or we can’t even find remains for, I’m no fun at all.  Anyhow…  Big Foot believers lean on evidence of the North-American man-ape’s supposed-real tracks and fur as well as grainy photos and blurry videos, most of which appear to be fabricated to me.  But believers swear by this evidence and also tout the testimony of other believers as more evidence!  Yet why haven’t we managed to capture one of these giant, up-right-ape-like creatures?  Believers will tell you that, “they’re shy and reclusive.”  Then why do they keep popping up in grainy photos around where people are?  It all doesn’t make sense and leaves me wondering.