May The Circle Be Unbroken

My wedding ring broke on Friday.

Over the years, my ring has gotten pretty beat up. It's never round and the finish is all worn off. Once, I lost one of the diamond chips at a construction site.

It finally wore so thin that it just gave out.

At a wedding, they almost always mention the significance of the rings. They are a symbol...and a metaphor, I guess. Not so much of our love, but of our marriage. My ring went everywhere I went. It weathered nasty working conditions and was along for the ride on plenty of fun times as I travelled all over the country and even other parts of the world. The ring has been a partner to me through all these things.

I'm not delusional. I know the difference between my wife and my wedding ring. I'm just saying that, over the years, that ring has gone through a lot, but it's always been with me. Our marriage has been through a lot, too. But, unlike my ring, instead of wearing thin and approaching the point of giving out...we're getting stronger and even more tightly bound together.

I like my ring. I need to get it fixed.

Biblical Proportions

I'm feeling pretty fortunate to have missed the effects of one of the lesser known biblical plagues. Here I am observing the remnants of The Plague of Arrows.

Alternate Caption: "Cupid is really mad"

Alternate Alternate Caption: "Legolas!...I thought you were an elf"

Look Me In The Eye

I finished reading this book yesterday. John Elder Robison, the author, grew up with undiagnosed Asperger's Syndrome. It wasn't until he was forty years old, that his friend was able to point it out to him.

Aspergers falls within the spectrum of autism and is indicated by someone whose social skills may be very slow to develop, while other areas of their brain develop so rapidly and intensely that they are sometimes regarded as savants.

Many books have been written about autism and Aspergers, but the thing I like about this one is that it is written by someone who grew up with the condition and didn't know why he was different.

Actually, the book is about much more than just Aspergers. It challenges us to consider how we perceive others, how we develop our own self image and tolerance toward others who do not process the world around them the same way we do.

But besides all of this... the book is funny. Robison has a unique sense of humor and is a masterful storyteller with stories to tell.

Because John Robison is about my same age, I share an affinity to the time period in which he grew up. I can relate to his references of the Vietnam war, the rock groups, and the American culture of his childhood. Maybe these things helped me appreciate the book, but I would recommend it based on the universal need we share to understand one another and appreciate that we are gloriously different.

Don't Knock Opportunity

A couple of days ago, one of our truck drivers gave his two weeks notice. We posted an ad on craigslist for a driver.
Within 2 days, I had 58 resumes.
I have heard of other businesses posting ads and receiving 400 resumes - and that was for part-time work.
There is a challenge involved in trying to make a good hire. Some people that are well qualified, don't seem to have the personality or character that make me feel confident about being able to work with them. For the kind of truck driver we need, there will be times of frustration and aggravation in dealing with the Ports in California. I need someone who will work with me, not against me during those times.
Then, there are other candidates who may not be as highly qualified or experienced, but have an attitude of positive cooperation and elements of personal character that are desirable.
In discussing this with my brother, the owner of the company, his opinion is, "Hire attitude over aptitude". You can train people in skills, but as an employer, you won't change their character or attitude.
The other challenging element is the difficulty of assessing the merits of an individual sitting in your office for a few minutes who, as an employee will be doing their job day after day out of sight, hundreds of miles away. And even if they start out well...how will they perform after a few months?
My Mother has a saying about this.
"A new broom sweeps clean"
Well, we need that broom.