Do you believe in miracles?:):):):):)...

I admit it:):):)...

I was wrong:):):)...

I went to work last night TOTALLY expecting more of the gossipy, responsibility avoiding bullshit of the last 2 or 3 nights:):):)...

And I was wrong:):):)...

I was a little surprised when our department lead (our second in command...a guy I like and respect quite a bit, really:):):)...put me on loading...

The last few nights, I've been on staging...

Staging is the part of loading that involves preparing carts of doors in lanes for lead loaders to take them from the lanes for the guys (or gals, as the case may be:):):)...there is at least one lady lead loader that I know of:):):) to load onto the trucks:):):)...

I was on staging because -- from my perspective -- I was getting blamed for a lot of hyperaggressive bullshit...lots of bossing...and bullying...and pushing too hard...all things that I've spent the entire time I've been on shipping saying needs to begin to end if we want to be most productive...

And the last few nights...when I have been staging...and as at least a couple of leads and loaders have been rationalizing what bossy, bullying, sons-a-bitches they've been being...I have to say that our numbers have been down...

And last night...I was fully prepared to go into work...to go do staging, on my own (hence the rationale for having me stage...I was somehow both the pussy on the crew, because I'm a vegitarian and such a nice guy...and the aggressor in the various conflicts we've had on the crew...a pretty big stretch of a rationalization, really, if you ask me:):):)...

But...for whatever reasons:):):)...maybe because conversation was easier between the guys and I, last night:):):)...

John put me on loading:):):)...

So...there I am...avoiding every conflict that might ever arise with all the effort I could possibly muster:):):)...

But here's the miracle:):):)...

So were the other guys:):):)...

I'm loading with two of the guys that I have most recently come into the closest physical conflict with:):):)...my very close friend, Deway...who I've had physically threatening conflict now 3 or 4 times, during my time at shipping:):):) (though I'm totally serious that Deway is one of my closest friends:):):)...and Zach:):):)...who I think is smart:):):)...and who I like a lot:):):)...but I've never really totally known how Zach felt about me:):):)...

So it's Deway and Zach -- two of the guys with whom I've had conflict which led to me both being removed from loading...and which was leading me to hate this job in a way that I haven't up until this point:):):) -- a new loader, Kevin:):)...and one of my favorite leads (other than the now second shift department lead, Kenny, who's my favorite, really:):):)...Fred:):):)...who's a great guy:):):)...and becoming quite the lead load, as well, as it turns out:):):)...

And the amazing thing:):):)...the miracle:):):)...

Is that Deway...of all people...who's a pretty verbally aggressive dude, really:):):)...though...as I said:):):)...Deway is one of my very good friends:):):)...

Deway...is clearly trying to make sure that he and I don't get in trouble:):):)...

So Deway is playing nice, all night...except with Zach:):):)...who he's giving some way too aggressive shit...which is concerning me...because...remember...I need to avoid conflict at all costs, at this point...so I have a limited ability to intervene by giving him shit...which I do anyway, when I think Zach is just had enough of Deway's shit for the night...which luckily prompts Deway in the right direction...who goes and plays nice with Zach for a while...which puts Zach in a better mood:):):)...

I avoided conflict like crazy, last night:):):)...

I had a conversation with a guy who was arguing that the statistics for lung cancer (after a casual conversation about the unfortunate diagnosis for Dana Reeves, Christopher Reeves' widow, with lung cancer) of 90% of lung cancer patients being non-smokers, and 10% being smokers...after an attempt by me to clarify what I thought were the reverse statistics of 90% of lung cancer victims being smokers, and 10% being non-smokers:):):)...

But I didn't even say anything, here...where I would normally press someone to explain the complete illogic of such an assertion (this guy did seem kind of obstinantly rebellious in his assertion:):):)...

I say nothing...

Because I'm looking to avoid serious conflict at all costs:):):)...

But...the cool thing...

Is that Deway was too...

And Zach was too...

And Fred was cool as usual:):)...

And Kevin was fairly cool all night:):)...

And John, our department lead, was REALLY relaxed...

As was Ben, our supervisor...

Everyone was relaxed, actually...

No bossing around, of me, at least...

And guess what?...

71 tiers...

Our normal quota is around 56...and 71 is a higher number for us:):):)...

It's amazing what you can get done when you reduce the aggression and focus on and cut everyone slack to do their best job:):):)...

And you know what the amazing thing is in this tale of cautious optimism that the last few days may have been the darkness before the dawn...

I don't think that Deway and Zach were chilling out because they were taking responsibility for pushing on me, at all (in fact, Deway still seem to avoid responsibility in a conversation we had:)...

I think they were chilling out...

Because they liked me:):)...

And they didn't want to get in trouble, themselves, for obvious reasons...

And maybe because they didn't want me kicked out of shipping, which was the last threat made against me:):):)...

I don't know if these guys care about me the way I care about them...I never know if anyone cares about me the way I care about them:)...

But I do know that last night we had a really chill night...no serious conflicts...lots of more clearly good-natured humor...and even some love:):):)...

And we put up 71 tiers, last night:):):)...

And I feel pretty good about that:):):)...

And a SERIOUS validation for the principles of least possible necessary aggression:):):)...

Which were clearly in play last night as we put up pretty impressive numbers:):):)...

And is the direction that third shift shipping has been moving in, at least since I've been working there:):):)...

We take 2 steps forward...and then 1 step back...or 3 steps forward...and then 1 step back...or 3 steps forward...and 2 steps back:):):)...

But somehow...we keep fumbling forward:):):)...

And that is the fate of humanity, I think:):):)...

I've been reading this really terrific article by conservative international policy scholar, Samuel Huntington, on democratic reversals...the propensity of the democratic world to go through long periods of expansion...and then periods of reversal (a period that I think we are somewhat in the middle of, right now...though only time will tell on what scale:):):)...

And such is the fate of humanity, I think:):):)...

Abraham Maslow refers in the Farther Reaches of Human Nature to "healthy regressions":):):)...

And maybe this is one of them...

It's just kind of the nature of the learning curve, sometimes, I think:):):)...

To make better choices:):):)...

We often have to make worse ones:):):)...

So we can see the difference:):):)...

And learn from the worse ones:):):)...

To keep making better and better ones:):):)...

That's why I'm a liberal (in a theological sense):):):)...

Because people just make mistakes:):):)...

It's part of their inescapable nature:):):)...

It is the only way, sometimes, that they can tell the difference between a worse choice and a better choice:):):)...

And to learn...gradually...progressively...over time:):):)...

How to make better choices:):):)...

And that can be mistakes of international policy:):):)...

Or even mistakes in a garage door shipping dock:):):)...

But...over time...I am becoming cautiously optimistic:):):)...

We make better choices:):):)...

And we each play a role in that, I'm convinced:):):)...

Do you believe in miracles?:):):)...

I only like to play as an underdog...

It's when I play best:):):):):)...

Have a great day, everyone:):):):):)...

Love,
Ben