This is a story about today. Like literally, today. It
involves a person I have been working on and off for since I was about 10, Guy
we’ll say, and myself.
Guy picks me up this morning to do some internet work for
him as usual. In the middle of talking about our latest project he cuts his
sentence short with “OH! Tony, I got the new book in the *****. (For “don’t sue
me” purposes, I can’t say the actual name, but we will call it… “The Nifty
Pickle”..)
Me: Really?
(I had a few things I wanted to say about him posting the
ad, but, said nothing.)
Him: Yeah, exciting huh? Well, they cut a word so we have to
tell them that. Plus they have to give me a free week for the mistake.”
Me: What did they not post?
(Now by this time, we are pulling into the parking lot and
he does not answer. Inside he tells the woman behind the desk about the mistake
and then looks to me to write down what he wanted. Now, I already knew what he needed
to say because I had been listening to the conversation plus was involved with
the project. He and the woman behind the counter were in a mix-up trying to
understand the same thing. Both were literally (I love that word) saying the
same thing. How they didn’t understand each other, I don’t know. Staying out of
the confusion, I wrote the 9 words on a 5 by 7 inch piece of green “project”
paper. Basically, it was just a big sticky note pad. Now, she repeats the words
in the right order. He on the other hand, not paying attention, stuck in his
own little mental track, misses her being correct. Thinking I wrote down what he
heard as wrong, he says just scratch that out, wait, no. that causes confusion
put it on a new paper.)
Me: What? Why? It’s fine.
Him: No, that paper is confusing with lines everywhere, use
a new one.
Me: I didn’t cross out anything, what are you talking about?
(He grabs the pad from in front of me, scratches out the
words and says “now do it on different paper.” Keeping my mouth and attitude
silent, I did as asked and wrote the same 9 words, on the same green pad. He
continues repeating the words he wanted along with other option. Again, I knew
what he needed. I knew what the project needed. So, the same 9 words never
changed. Confusing himself is the only think he did. Off track with his
thoughts isn’t even close to describing that moment and look on his face..)
Him: (Looking down at the green pad) that is not right. Do
it again.
Me: No. For what? Look, I wrote the same thing you are
trying to get posted in this paper, what are you looking at?
Him: (Giving me what I, breaking after mentally laughing, would
say was a Mad look) No, it’s not the same. That’s not what I said. What is so
hard to understand about that?
(Adding emphasis to his words by touching the writing while
he spoke, he repeats the nine words. I along with him, nodding and thinking if
this was really happening.)
Me: Now, what wasn’t right?
Him: Are you blind? Look man… (He cuts his sentence short,
snatches up the pad again, tears off the paper and crumpling it up into a
ball.) Redo it. Don’t think. Don’t say what you think. Just put those words on
another pad.
Me: (At this point, the ‘a-hole in me went livid. Standing
from leaning on the counter, I turned to face him and took in a deep breath so
I would not run out of wind while “putting him in his place”. The instant my
lips moved to say my first word, the woman behind the counter says “here, I
will write it down” and takes the pad. Focused on him, her moving drew my eyes
to her hand and ears to her voice becoming just enough of a distraction for my “mentor,
friend and business partner” to flash into my thought process. When he first
met me he had asked if I let pride stand in the way of profit. Yesterday, as if
partly psychic, I mentioned today may offer a problem between the main person
of the story and myself. He again states “eh, I understand that, but, you have
to do what you have to do. Don’t let pride stand in the way of profit. The
money made tomorrow may not be hardly anything, but it’s more than what you
have.” I knew was right and thought on how to handle things as to not allow
pride to hurt things. Blowing out the breath, I walked out. The mentor had
given me two cd’s to listen to a week or so ago. They offered this thought
while I walked down to the car. “Take a minute and think. When asked a question
or reacting vocally, pause and get your thoughts together in your head. It
should take a moment or two for your mind to put the right words together.
Though being impulsive often gets by, taking that extra time will make a big
difference.” Thinking is exactly what I did.)
Me: (Leaving, I asked) what was that?
Him: You want to know what that was? It’s like this, if I
was a general in the war and I had an important message to send, I hand it to
this person.. (I cut him off)
Me: That has nothing to do with inside that office. I have
metaphors for everything, and I know you pretty good. The point you are about
to make is off base with right now. So again, what was that?
Him: I told you what I wanted. Why you want to argue with me
I don’t know. That isn’t your job. To argue. Your job is to do as I ask and
give me what I want.
Me: Seriously man? I did, both times.
Him: No, I looked over and both times you wrote the opposite
of what I wanted and then had lines all over the paper talking about other stuff
and… (I had to stop him again. Impulsive.. I know)
Me: Wait. Never mind you saying I drew the lines but You didn’t
even read the papers did you?
Him: I know what I saw. I don’t care if I looked down and
saw the devil on that paper, if I wanted a different one, then that’s what I
wanted.
Me: Okay look, for one, there was only one kind of paper.
The green one. On top of that, both times I had the right words on that pad, if
you didn’t even read the pad, why did you react as if I was wrong? I gave you what you wanted but more importantly, needed. Mandating being right clouded what you saw as both.
(He thinks for a minute and then began to speak. Knowing me,
if I am right, I don’t back down. Knowing him, right or wrong, he don’t back
down. So I stopped him yet again, and, here in is the ending of the story and
message)
Me: You have over 10 books that you have written. You
thought, for years might I add, that all of them were uploaded online in the
right way. It wasn’t until this past week that you found out most of them aren’t
even listed. Most of them weren’t even in an account that you had access to. As
important as all this is to you, how did you miss it? That stuff in the office
just then, why did that happen? You were not paying attention. Not thinking.
Acting in the faith that you are right. That, is crazy man. You have dedicated
over 13 years to this dream of yours, and you wonder why things just fall apart
or don’t work out? Stop. Step back. Look. Pay attention!!! Think because you
are actually thinking and need to, not pretend to because it looks good. I am
not out to hurt you or the project or company. I may leave for a bit, but I
come back, correct everything that has gone wrong and help as best as I can. I
do have a job. It’s not to give you what you want by being a yes man. It is to
give you what you need and help you understand what you want. Sometimes things
are so easy to solve, you tend to complicate them by not paying enough
attention.
(Sorry it was so long, but here is the message)
Help comes in so many forms. When someone offers help or
advice, don’t be so quick to lock them out mentally. The answers are always
right in front of us, we just may not be able to see them until it is to late
or past painful. Impulse hurts us as individuals and again as a whole. Take
that extra moment and think. Reason. Take in. THINK… Its amazing what our minds
as people are capable of, but it will only remain potential as long as you
stand in your own way. Being on the outside, the view is of what someone may
need. The inside shows what we want most
times and is focused on. They are and can be one in the same though it is hard
to see it from that perspective. Advice is not always good from outside sources
unless used in the right way. Take the advice and the situation or problem,
step back and play them together. Your amazing mind will take the two and give
the best actions for you, from your standpoint. Humanity loves and needs sight,
why do we at times CHOOSE to be blind? What do you think could happen if CHOOSE
to not be.
Make sense?
