Fake It Until You Make It

A motivational speaker urged his audience to “fake it until you make it.” He said that before you can land a big opportunity, you have to look, talk, and act like you belong in that role. If you can to this convincingly, people will take you seriously and offer you chances to prove yourself.

I decided that he was probably right. For instance, if you want to be funny, but you’re not, it might help if you try to look funny. If you can get people to laugh when they see you coming down the street, you’ll know that you’re well on your way to success.

Delays In Transition

It’s clear to anyone who’s been paying attention that Mr. Trump will do just about anything to hold onto the presidency.

- For months, he made vague and unsubstantiated claims about voter fraud.

- Since Election Day, he and his surrogates have claimed that the election was stolen.

- His legal team filed dozens of lawsuits. Each was dismissed due to a lack of evidence.

- His surrogates pushed conspiracy theories in outrageous press conferences.

- He has attempted to convince local and state officials to delay certification of election results.

- He has tried to convince state legislatures to ignore the voters and appoint loyal electors.

Whether this strategy ultimately succeeds, it’s dangerous in several ways.

American elections have never been perfect, but for centuries they have served as the global standard for representative democracy. It’s a standard that much of the world tried to emulate and unscrupulous authoritarians tried to avoid. It’s going to be difficult for the US to promote democracy abroad now that they world has witnessed such a blatantly undemocratic power grab occurring within our own electoral system.

Here in the US, Mr. Trump’s win at all costs strategy has weakened our democratic institutions and has set a precedent that power-hungry politicians could leverage in attempts to undermine future elections.

But the delays that have resulted from Mr. Trump’s challenges don’t just set a dangerous precedent. They represented a clear and present danger to our national security as the Biden team has been blocked from receiving critical security briefings. Further, these politicsl delays will ultimately impact the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines which the Biden Administration will ultimately deliver.

Perhaps the most astonishing revelation is that Mr. Trump doesn’t seem to have any interest in performing the responsibilities of the position that he so desperately wants to retain. He’s not managing the pandemic. He’s not urging Congress to provide financial relief to citizens and businesses (or municipalities) that could keep them going during the months that it will take to distribute the vaccine. He’s not helping to secure the production of tests or personal protective equipment for medical professionals. All he seems to want to do with his time is golf and watch television. 

Mr. Trump, you can do those things as a private citizen. It’s time to get out of the way and let the country move forward.

Advice From An Old Farmer

I had a flashback to a memory from my early teens. My Mom and I had driven to a local farm to buy some hay. Mom had a few horses in those days; we were constantly buying hay to keep up with their healthy appetites.

After we loaded the hay into our pickup truck, the farmer chatted with Mom for a few minutes, and then he turned to me. He said that he wanted to offer me some advice.

I remember the moment clearly because it was so unusual. The farmer wasn’t a big man. He was no taller than I was at the time, and I wasn’t fully grown. He had a kind, round face and twinkling eyes. He was balding, and the hair that he did have was cut quite short. He wore blue jean overalls as most men of his profession did in those days. He was about fifty, but to me he seemed ancient. One of his teeth was out of line with the rest.

“You’re going to reach a point where you’ll have to decide whether to be a boy or a man. My advice to you is to stay a boy for as long as you can.”

“Okay, I’ll try,” I said awkwardly. I really didn’t understand what he meant, but I didn’t want to seem ungrateful by asking him to clarify.

I thought about his words quite often in the coming years and months. The whole incident seemed so surprising; I really didn’t know what to make of it.

The farmer’s words seemed to suggest that I continue to cherish the things that I had held dear as a child: games, toys, light-hearted entertainment, and joyful family interactions. I didn’t feel that advice was particularly valuable given that I’m already a sentimental person. I try to stay in touch with my past and appreciate the most innocent of pleasures.

Thinking back on his words all these years later, now that I am older than the farmer was when he offered his advice, I believe that I finally understand what he was trying to tell me.

“Before you take on responsibilities that will determine your future, before you make commitments that will limit what you can do and where you can go, see the world and sample what it has to offer.

“You’re only young once. Enjoy the freedom that youth affords. Go places. Try things. Take risks and have adventures. If you don’t, if you skip this important time in your life, you’ll regret missing out on those pleasures and those adventures. If you make big decisions before you understand all of what life has to offer, you might end up in a place where you really don’t want to be.”

Copyright © 2020 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

New York Minute 180 - Sanitation Unmasked

While I was out for a jog one morning last week, there was a moment when two garbage trucks stopped on my block at the same time. One truck was picking up recyclables while the other collected trash.

As I jogged past, I saw several sanitation workers in action. Each worker was African American, and none of them were particularly young. They looked to be in their forties or early fifties.

Another way to interpret this is that these workers belong to a demographic group that has been disproportionately susceptible to the most severe impacts of Covid-19.

And yet, not one of them wore a mask.

If I had to handle one family’s trash, I would take extraordinary steps to protect myself. These folks were out there collecting residential refuse from hundreds of households. Aside from wearing gloves, they seemed to throw caution to the wind.

Copyright © 2020 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

Election Conspiracy Allegations

If there really was a widespread conspiracy to change votes or submit fraudulent ballots in the 2020 US election, how is it that Lindsay Graham and Mitch McConnell were won re-election easily? Why were Susan Collins, Joni Ernst, and Thom Tillis re-elected despite the fact that all of them trailed in the polls for months? Why didn’t the alleged conspiracy hand Mr. Biden a win in Florida, or even Texas, victories that would have put the election far out of reach for Mr. Trump?

New York Minute 179 - Strange Comment

On my way to the post office one afternoon, I passed a middle-aged lady sitting alone in front of a large apartment building. She was wearing the uniform of a domestic worker; I guessed that she might have been the maid of someone who lived in the building. She’d probably stepped outside to enjoy a short break from work.

As I walked past the lady, when I was directly in front of her in fact, she said something in a loud voice. It was one of those awkward moments when you don’t know whether the person is speaking to you or to someone on phone. I ignored her comment and kept walking.

Several paces down the sidewalk, I glanced back discreetly. The lady had indeed been talking to someone on her phone. I was relieved, because her comment was rather personal.

“I like women, and I just want someone to take care of me.”

Copyright © 2020 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

Good Problems

View a goal as a series of problems to overcome, and then get to work on solving them one by one.

True To Yourself

Being true to yourself doesn’t mean resisting change or remaining stationary. It means taking on new challenges, enhancing and sharpening your unique abilities, and developing skills that will help you to shape your future.

Positive Reinforcement

Do something that makes you happy today.

Listen to music that you enjoy.

Watch, read, or listen to something that makes you laugh.

Pay someone a genuine compliment.

Call someone and tell them that you’ve been thinking about them.

Treat yourself to some light exercise.

Dance around the room.

Sing in the shower.

Curl up with a good book.

Make a list of things that you want to accomplish.

Dream of a big vacation.

Think of a way that you could volunteer your time for a positive cause.

Think of the silliest thing that’s every happened to you and have a good laugh about it.

Remember a person who inspired you and think about what you learned from them.

Do a good deed just because you can.

Love After Marriage

A lover adores you 

Wants to see more of you 

Dreams of being together 

And hates when you’re away 

A spouse wants you out of the house 

About as much as they want you around 

Yet they won’t approve 

Of cutting you loose 

And frown on the idea 

Of you running around town

Which one is better 

The spouse or the lover? 

Well, that’s hard to say 

Whichever you choose 

Sometimes you’ll win 

And sometimes you’ll lose 

It’s like dealing with fickle weather 

Copyright © 2020 Daniel R. South 

All Rights Reserved