Holiday

Above is a shot of the kids in the July Fourth parade in Saugatuck on Friday.

It was a great day for a parade -- cool (temps only in the low 70s) with low humidity. I rode my bike to the event while Jayne drove the girls. On the way out of town, I actually got stuck in a traffic jam! Stop-and-go traffic on a bike is tough.

Elspeth spent the night at a friend's house while we later took Alyssa to the fireworks. We stood on the bridge over the Kalamazoo River (Douglas side) and watched the sky. The fireworks are launched from a barge in Lake Kalamazoo.

To boldly not go. ...

I had mentioned in my last blog about work. My boss announced last week that he was leaving for a job in communications at a Grand Rapids hospital. I was asked if I wanted to apply for his position.

I know I was being asked because I've been with the company for 17 years, so people feel obligated to inquire. At least some people are polite if not sincere. Also, the people need to know where they should throw their allegiances so they don't look silly when a new person takes over.

I can do the job. Don't get me wrong. My ego is just as huge as everyone else's in the media.

Ah, but so much gets in the way.

I had applied to the position twice before and been turned down, the last time rather unprofessionally and, I thought, in an insulting manner. So, why try again? After two times, it just looks pathetic.

Also, I think the newsroom is peopled with some petty, nasty, self-absorbed children (I know! I'm the lead speaker at their weekly meetings!). Not all of the people by any means, but we have some key staffers who have back-stabbing and character assassination down to a fine art -- sometimes you can't even tell you're being ripped apart until your very soul is in a nicely filleted pile on the floor and you're presented with the bill.

I don't think I have the stamina to deal with that now. A few years ago, yes, but I often wonder if my very spirit has been broken. Or, if not broken, just battered and bruised enough to learn a lesson. I may never know.

The Gita talks about doing the work you are best at as a way to nurture the soul; "Star Trek" also explained it well when Spock and McCoy told Kirk that he was best as captain, not admiral ("Wrath of Khan" reference).

Thought: Now "warp" has a whole new meaning.