Stories - FD Thornton

This past few weeks have been tough, usually we ride along okay. But for the past ten days we've seen some trouble rase it's ugly head yet again, making us long for easier times. It seems like such a long time ago, when things were a bit simpler. When the work was good and plentiful and it seems we didn't have a care in the world. But that was many years ago, and for the past four or five years things have gotten tougher. Decisions that had been made are now being questioned. While the direction of our lives wants and needs to change, yet life won't let it. It seems we are caught in some crazed loop of never ending barely making it and missing the brass ring.  The best way to describe how I feel is that I'm wearied thin. The word wearied has two meanings on Dictionary.com . First is "to make or become weary; fatigue or tire" , and the second, "to make or grow impatient or dissatisfied with something or at having too much of something."  Eithe

Ever have one of those kinds of days, you decided you were not going to have again, yet you do? Man, I know I do. No matter how hard I try, sometimes I just can't shake a bad habit that causes me to do the same stupid, over and over again. I call them my funky monkey days. You know, that kinda day where you wake up and set your mind not to do the same stupid, but do it anyway.  Sometimes I even have funky monkey months or even funky monkey years! Like old Ron White once said, "You can't fix stupid." But you can fix attitudes, mindsets, and bad habits. Getting tried and giving up, are the two best weapons your old lazy mind uses to make you a funky monkey.  For you parents out there or those of you that were children, remember the best way to get some thing from mom and/or dad? Yes, that's right nag, nag, and nag some more. Eventually, you wore them down till they gave up. That's what habits do to you!  Now you may ask, "All right, I understand now,

First off, I got nothing against rainbows or puppies. And, in actuality this isn't going to end up a dark or jaded post about the ill's in mine or anyone elses life. What I do want to discuss is how we each deal with the chronic problems that we have in our everyday lives. For a good number of us, there may be physical or mental issues we struggle with that cloud what otherwise may be good days. These are burdens we live with mostly in silence either from embarrassment or shame. Because in this society any slight crack in the armor is considered some defect in who you are. In my own life, I know all too well the pain that can be infected by others because you carry or wear that "defect".  If we do make it through our formative years, we usually end up with even more scars or issues than we started with. Because, if left unchecked these issues build and build until they can no longer be ignored. They stand in front of us scared and festering, crying out to be heard

Over the 50+ years I've been around this world, you learn there's no such thing as a free lunch. Then when you're offered one, you'd better check for a trapdoor. Recently, I've been getting a bunch of job offers from businesses that have been big on what they can do for me, and giving me little as to what they want me to do. You ever get offers like that? "We received your resume, and you look to be a good fit for our business."   It all sounds good, until you do a little checking and find they nickel and dime you for every dollar you earn. Why can't there be an honest business out there that says, we have a product for you to sell. Now understand sales is a eat-you-up-and-spit-you-out business. So go in there honestly with a good product and do your best and mostly be ethical. I sometimes wonder if ethics is kryptonite to sales people.   I think sales can be a noble profession, it's just that group of unethical asses (let's call'em wha

You know, I've been around the block a few times. And, I've worked in a variety of businesses, with a variety of individuals. I've worked with lazy people, I've worked for really slow people. I've worked for hyperactive people, I've even worked with an alcoholic and a dope smoker or three (don't ask). So when you end up working with such a wide spectrum of individuals you pretty much see every type of management skill set (and I'm using that term very loosely).  Pretty much in any business you have any number of tasks to get done. Some may have to done in steps, others you may be able to combine. But when it comes to multitasking, I simply don't believe there is a way to get it done. At less not without sacrificing either quality, time, or budget, or all three. True multitasking effects one or more of those traits required to do a good job.  I've seen way too many of my bosses, including myself, that had the great idea to save quality, time,

I'm sure you all have a family member or friend that we love, but we rather not brag about them too much. Maybe they have an opinion or two that maybe taken the wrong way by others. Or they are simple too embarrassing to have around. It's not like you're trying to live above your raising, it's just that we have those we love that are just wrong. And there's no need to advertise every crazy in the closet.  Why I mentioned that, who knows? The real thing I wanted to bring out is limits. As Americans, for having a population with such unlimited access t0 everything. We tend to be quite limited to anything outside our borders, our region, our state, town, street, even beyond our yards for that matter. Why is that? For a people so blessed we tend to act very closed minded. Like we're always right and everybody else is wrong. A couple of years ago, I came across a website called about.me . Over the last number of months this site which acts as an introduction to y

I try and not make fun of or criticize others political or religious views when I speak to them. Because I think others should be treated with a degree of respect you would want to be treated. Now what I may think privately or among my peers, is my business. I'm simply saying in public be respectful. With the explosion of social media, much like this forum. For whatever reason most feel it can be open season on individuals whom don't think as they do. Maybe I'm just of a different generation. Maybe I was taught to be respectful of others. But when I studied critical thinking, I learned a lot about the deflections and trips others can set to throw off a civil debate.  Whatever happened to using the best idea to solve a problem no matter what side of the political fence it came from? In both a work and academic situations, as a team we worked together to get the job done using the best ideas from the group. None of us were just alike, with school teams we may not have bee