Right... not Easy

Gun's Quote-of-the-Week:

“Everyone will come to a point in their life when they have to choose between what is right and what is easy.”

-Albus Dumbledore

In light of the last movie of the Harry Potter series finally being released, I thought it only appropriate to use a Gun’s Quotes from one of the lead characters.

My stress level has been maxed out for a while. I sat down with my bosses to discuss my workload and the conversation went well, but this past week and this upcoming week will be 60+ hours trying to get a massive project out the door. It has been trying.

So when my car ended up in yet another wreck, I was at my wits’ end.

Driving to work on Monday, I was making a right turn. In the middle of the intersection, the guy behind me changed lanes and caught the right rear fender, barely missing the door. We pulled over. He gave me his contact info, but he didn’t have his insurance card. I made the police report and we both went about our business.

After trying to get a hold of him last week so that we could settle the $2,500+ damage he did to my car, none of my phone calls or texts were returned. I’m having to turn the claim into my insurance company for repairs and I’ll end up paying my $500 deductible. Because he didn’t return my calls and didn’t have an insurance card, my insurance company and I will be treating this as a case where he didn’t have insurance. Their claims department will pursue him for money, but I’ve been told not to be optimistic.

I’m paying $500 and without a car for two weeks because of something the police report and insurance company clearly state is not my fault.

While at the body-repair shop to get an estimate, the estimator came outside and stated, “Oh I remember this car!” As if my week needed a cherry on top.

As he was jotting notes down on his clip board, he noticed the large scrape of paint and hole punched into my rear bumper that was left from when a family member of mine accidentally backed into a pole while borrowing my car. (Love you, Mom!) This damage was right underneath the new damage caused by the wreck.

“Where’s this from?” he asked.

It was about that time that all of the stress, frustration and embarrassment from work, getting into my 5^th car wreck, dumping $500 of my own money into somebody else’s mistake and learning I was going to be car-less for two weeks crashed into an ethical dilemma. What should I tell him? Was this from a previous wreck, or was this caused by my current wreck?

It would only be a little-white lie. After all, this guy who hit me left me with the baggage… why not stick it back to him as an additional cost the insurance company would shake out of him? I’m spending $500 anyways… why not pretend that I was spending $500 to fix my own problem and pretend like he was fixing his mistake for free? I was inconvenienced, I was the victim… why not get something out of the deal? I’ve always hated the scrape on my rear bumper, I’ve played with the idea of getting it fixed for a while, I knew what it cost, and I knew that it would be awfully nice to get that $750 repair done for free…

The car goes to the shop tomorrow to start repairs. It will sit there for two weeks. When it reemerges, it will have a new taillight, new rear fender and new rear wheel well. It also gets “complimentary” detailing.

It will also have that hideous scrape and hole in the rear bumper, the scar that I’ve wanted to go away for years.

The decision to live with it for a few more wasn’t that easy.

…and that’s why it’s a Gun’s Quote!

Betas

Gun's Quote-of-the-Week:

“Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is called happiness.”

-Chinese Fortune Cookie

In the news this week was a Princeton study that came out about baboons. Published by the journal Science, this study left us with the common-sense knowledge that everyone already knew, but needed to be reminded.

In baboon culture, there exist alpha males. The alpha is the male who leads the pack, getting access to better food, the better place to rest his head and, of course, the first pick of the fertile females. One would think that all of these things would lead to a longer, more fulfilling life for the alpha, but Princeton tells us otherwise.

Princeton researchers collected poop from the baboons during their 9-year study. They weren’t looking for corn or seeds or anything like that; they were looking for testosterone and glucocorticoid, hormones produced by males when they are gearing up for intense physical activity, especially during a threatening situation. Larger amounts of these hormones, especially glucocorticoid, indicate stress levels.

From this smelly work, they were able to determine that the guys who ranked dead-last in baboon social order had the highest stress levels. They found that as you increased in rank your stress level decreased. More popular, better looking, stronger baboons enjoyed less stress than their scrawny, awkward, virgin peers.

This inverse correlation was true throughout all social classes, until it hit one… the alpha male.

For the alpha male, the stress level was on the same level as the lowest-class baboons. The researchers concluded that all of the work necessary to stay at the top of the heap had a detrimental impact on the alpha. The alpha was constantly fighting to keep their place, to ward off other challenging males, and to court females. Beta males actually showed the lowest stress levels. While they didn’t get first pick at dinner or in bed, they generally enjoyed acceptable, comfortable status in their social order while not necessarily having to worry as much about being challenged by other males.

Included in the study were the obvious findings that high levels of stress resulted in wearing out immune and reproductive systems faster, as well as other adverse health effects. In other words, alphas needed baboon Viagra just to keep up.

I have a plethora of Gun’s Quotes that talk about rising to the top, going the extra mile, never giving up, never quitting, staying in the fight, and being a champion. All of us are taught to be the best we can be and to achieve greatness. We tell ourselves that 2^nd-place is the first loser, that middle-management is only a stepping stone and that white-collar work is where it’s at. Silver will never be more valuable than gold, and the guys who show up to work just to do their job and go home always will be equated with the 2^nd-string guys who will never have their names called out before the start of the game.

Nobody wants to be a beta.

I think I’m changing my mind about that, though. After taking a job because of an opportunity to rise to the top, I’m discovering that the journey may not be worth it. The long hours, the high stress, the lack of sleep… I need only look at my bosses who work 7-days a week and evenings just to keep up. This is not the life I want.

I want to write a Gun’s Quote every week, not be so busy that I have to skip one like last week. I want to cook again instead of leaning on Brian and Erik, I want to fix my bathroom, clean my junk out and, the most important of all, serve my church. Knowing what it takes to be a leader in a career-field, I’ve all but concluded that perhaps I don’t want to lead after all.

…and that’s why it’s a Gun’s Quote!

Paleness

Gun's Quote-of-the-Week:

“Every time I enter a room, I'm told I brighten it. Which I don't know how. Maybe it's because I'm so pale.”

-Michelle McOsker

It’s been one of those weeks where I just wanted to scream. So, I decided that the Gun’s Quote this week needed to be a good laugh. Michelle is definitely one of those people that can make you laugh when you need to, and her quote, being designated at this weeks’ Gun’s Quote, does just that.

Thank you for being pale, Michelle. You brighten up my life!

…and that’s why it’s a Gun’s Quote!