Michael Robert Dyet's Blog, page 13

Random Act of Metaphor: Blue Flag Iris

Hmmm, such an exquisite sight awildflower can be.

I have flirted with the idea of addingwildflowers to my nature study repertoire. There are some advantages to turningmy attention to them relative to the winged wonders I typically focus my attentionon.

I do not have to chase a wildfloweracross the meadow trying to track it until it decides to perch. A wildflowerdoes not fly away the moment I press the shutter button to take a photograph ofit as butterflies often do.

On the downside, there are so many ofthem and the process of identifying them is quite complex. I have optimisticallypurchased a couple of wildflower field guides. But as of yet I have not beenable to summon the patience required.

But occasionally I come across one thatis readily identifiable and cries out to be photographed. Case in point: the BlueFlag Iris at the head of this post. Such an exquisite flower to behold withits lavender blue, nodding pedals and their intricately yellow-veined sepals. Purelyby chance I captured this one against a palette of verdant green.

It is said that wildflowers are nature’swallpaper. This Blue Flag Iris qualifies as a random act of metaphor toprove that declaration.

~ Now Available Online from Amazon,Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage –Stories by Michael Robert Diet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Untilthe Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel which was a double winner inthe Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me GoHmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribingare provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in theright sidebar. Ifyou’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularlyto my page for postings once a week.

The Butterfly Effect Redefined

Hmmm, how little they ask and how verymuch they offer in return.

I do not talk much about my fascinationwith butterflies. Most people understand birdwatching which I enjoyed for manyyears until my chronic back problem forced me to give it up. But when youconfess that you chase the smaller winged wonders, you tend to get the “Oh,that’s interesting” response coupled with a furrowed brow.

For the record, I do not use a butterflynet as some afficionados of this pastime do. So I am one step removed from the naturegeek gamboling through meadows sweeping his net at anything that takes flight.I use binoculars which leaves casual observers free to assume I am watching birds– a misconception I am happy to leave unchallenged.

Why am I fascinated with these delicatecreatures of glorious summer? It stems at a high level from my general love of naturein all its forms. But there are specific reasons why these winged wonders fascinateme.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The simplest of the reasons is that manyof them are quite visually stunning like the Baltimore Checkerspot above.I still remember the day I first spotted one. My heart fluttered (pun intended)and I was desperate to get a photograph of it. Beauty inspires me particularlywhen it is fleeting as butterflies are by their very nature.

Learning to identify these diminutiveand often look-alike creatures is an intriguing challenge. There are some butterfliesthat are unmistakable on sight. But often I must apply a combination of fieldmarks, habitat, season, geography and even behaviour to make an I.D.  Case in point: Tiny Skippers like the CrosslineSkipper above.

But if I am being completely honest, themain reason I am drawn to this pastime is because it is a reprieve from theincreasingly fractious and often inexplicable affairs of the human race.

Butterflies have no hidden agenda, noaxe to grind, no prejudices and no selfish desires. They do not compete to seewho can acquire more wealth or power, expect more of me than I can offer or enterinto conflict for reasons that made no sense to me. All they ask is that Iappreciate their simple elegance and do my best to protect the fragileenvironments in which they live.

The Butterfly Effect metaphor – that a butterfly flappingits wings can have an impact thousands of miles away – demonstrates that little,insignificant events can lead to significant results over time. But for me itmeans simply that the sight of one of these winged wonders can bring me peace of mind and spirit Ioften cannot find anywhere else.

~ Now Available Online from Amazon,Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage –Stories by Michael Robert Diet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Untilthe Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel which was a double winner inthe Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me GoHmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribingare provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in theright sidebar. Ifyou’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularlyto my page for postings once a week

The Computer Chip Shortage: Catch 22

Hmmm, are we in a Catch 22 scenario whenit comes to computer chips?

In anticipation of my retirement at theend of March, I decided to give myself a retirement gift. I ordered a DSLRcamera, with an 18 – 135 mm lens, from the Henry’s website on February 18.Delivery was specified as four to eight weeks which meant it should arrive by mid-April.Perfect timing, right? Well, not so much.

Three months later the camera is stillon backorder. The delay is a result of the shortage of computer chips forelectronic devices and automobiles. I did a bit of Google research to try andget a sense a better sense of the problem.

The problem dates all the way back to2019 when the U.S. placed restrictions on the export of American technology,including computer chips, to some Chinese firms. Chinese manufacturersresponded to that blacklist by stockpiling semiconductors needed for computerchips.

Them along came the COVID-19 lockdownswhen demand for work-from-home technology increased exponentially. Manufacturershad to compete for semiconductor capacity in Asian foundries. Downstreamoperations in Asia, in particular Malaysia, were impacted by COVID-19 creatingfurther bottlenecks in the supply chain.

And then in early 2021, a couple ofdozen machines were destroyed in a fire at a semi-conductor plant in Japan thatmakes about one in three microcontroller chips. Around the same time, powershortages caused by an extreme cold snap in Texas forced Samsung, InfineonTechnologies and NXP semiconductors to temporarily halt chip manufacturing.

Other supply chain issues factor into themix: labour shortages, ocean freight bottlenecks, increasing inflation, globalport congestion, warehouse shortage, financial sanctions in Russia closing offtransport routes, climate crisis regulations enacted to reduce emissions along globalsupply chains.

In summary, the not-so-short answer tothe chip shortage is a combination of pandemic shutdowns, geopolitics,increased demand, supply chain issues and plain old bad luck. In effect, a perfectstorm of circumstances.

But I believe there is another more insidiousissue involved.

Whenever there is a shortage of aparticular item, the unit price for that item skyrockets. Profit margins forthe suppliers of that item get fatter. In theory, the unit price should come backdown when the shortage ends. But the suppliers rather like the higher profitmargin so they stockpile the item and release it in dribs and drabs to prolongthe shortage.

So it is a Catch 22 situation. The shortagecauses higher demand which causes higher prices which encourages the suppliersto hold back inventory which perpetuates the shortage.

The short answer as to when I can expectto receive my camera is Your guess is as a good as mine. I am a victimof the Catch 22 scenario. I may have to fly to Malaysia, meet a black market dealerin a back alley and hope they do not knock me in the head and run when I handover my hard earned money.

~ Now Available Online from Amazon,Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage –Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Untilthe Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel which was a double winner inthe Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me GoHmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribingare provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in theright sidebar. Ifyou’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularlyto my page for postings once a week.

The Death of Customer Service

Hmmm, if you treat me like I am a dime-a-dozen,you can kiss my business goodbye.

Shoppers Drug Mart is the latest retainchain to drive a stake into the heart of customer service. By all appearancesthey have joined the ranks of the “as much profit as possible while providingas little service as possible” corporations.

I dropped into a Shoppers outlet thisweek to pick up a couple of items. When I got to the front of the store, I discoveredthere was only one full-service checkout and I could only use it if I was willingto pay in cash. If I wanted to pay by debit or credit card, I had no choice butto use one of the self-service kiosks.

The message this sends to me is: We wantyour business but only if we do not have to work hard to get it. We prefer notto interact with you in any way. Get what you want, self-serve yourself to payand get out. You are a transaction to us, not a customer.

I always harken back to a story told bya course instructor – I will call him Sam – a few years back when I encounter thistype of situation. Sam wanted to attach something to the front door of hishouse. He knew he needed a special type of drill bit to drill a hole in thedoor. But he did not know specifically what type of bit to purchase.

Sam went to a Big Box store andexplained to the teenage clerk what he needed. The clerk responded “That’s aisle10” and walked away. Sam found his way to aisle 10 where there were severalrows of drill bits. But he had no idea which one to buy.

Sam left the Big Box store and drove tothe local hardware store. He explained to the friendly staff person – I will callhim Joe – what he needed to do. Joe walked him to proper aisle and gave him theexact drill bit needed for the purpose.

Sam’s takeaway: Joe knew that it was notthe drill bit I needed. I needed the hole in the door. Joe gave me the hole inthe door.

I have no doubt that the “Serve yourselfand get out” model – aka The Death of Customer Service – will continue toprevail in the big chain stores. They see us as a dime-a-dozen. Facelessnobodies with disposable income to be pried loose.

The big chain store’s vision is theautomated store with no staff needed. Technology replaces customer service asit is much more cost efficient. No staff equals bigger profits. Patrons must beconditioned to interact with technology rather than with people.

I, however, whenever possible willpatronize the local, owner-operated store where I am treated as a customer. Niceto see you. Yes, I can help you with that. Is there anything else you need? Thanksso much and have a nice day. I am willing to pay a little extra for servicewith a smile rather than be processed as a dime-a-dozen nobody.

~  NowAvailable Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: HuntingMuskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Untilthe Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel which was a double winner inthe Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That MakeMe Go Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribingare provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in theright sidebar. Ifyou’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularlyto my page for postings once a week.

Gordon Lightfoot: Heaven’s Music Hall of Fame

Hmmm, how blessed we were by the musicalgifts of Canadian icon Gordon Lightfoot.

In all honesty, I am not a big music aficionado. I did not collect many records or cassette tapes (yes, I am that old) and I have only a few CDs. I have attended a grand total of two music concerts in my 65 years.

It is not that I do not like music. As awriter, I am more drawn to the written word. The recording artists that doappeal to me are the ones who pen poetic lyrics or, in particular, story songs.No one occupied that niche more eloquently than Gordon Lightfoot who passedaway this week.

Lightfoot had an impressive musical resume.Sixteen Juno awards. Four ASCAP awards for songwriting. Five Grammy Awardnominations. Canadian Male Recording Artist of the decade for the 1970’s. Inductioninto the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame,the Songwriters Hall of Fame and Canada’s Walk of Fame.

There wasa time in this fair land when the railroad did not run
When the wild majestic mountains stood aloneagainst the sun
Long before the white man and long before thewheel
When the green dark forest was too silent to bereal

I have friend who is a performer and didLightfoot songs in his act early in his career. I have a vivid memory of himperforming at The Olde Hide House Restaurant in Acton some 40+ years ago. Hewas performing Lightfoot’s Canadian Railroad Trilogy (opening lyrics above)when the sound of a train horn filtered in from a nearby railroad – a moment ofperfect synchronicity.

Thelegend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they called Gitche Gumee
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (opening lyrics above) is my favouriteLightfoot song. It memorialized a piece of Canadian history that many would otherwisenever have known about. Lightfoot captured and celebrated the Canadian identitybetter than any other musical artist. He truly earned the title of Canada’s GreatestSongwriter.

If youcould read my mind, love
What a tale my thoughts could tell
Just like an old time movie
‘Bout a ghost from a wishing well

Classic lyrics from Lightfoot’s songs –such as the opening lines from If You Could Read My Mind provided above –are embedded in my memory. In retrospect, I wish I had taken the opportunity tosee him perform in person.

From all Canadians, thanks Gordon for making the world and our lives better through your music. No doubt you have now been inducted into Heaven’s Music Hall of Fame.

~ Now Available Online from Amazon,Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage –Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Untilthe Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel which was a double winner inthe Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me GoHmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions forsubscribing are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructionspage in the right sidebar. Ifyou’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularlyto my page for postings once a week

The Politician’s Super-Secret Tactical Handbook

Hmmm, how many ways are there toembroider the truth in the world of politics?

I must start this post by declaring thatI have to keep my source confidential. The individual who provided me with acopy of the Politician’s Super-Secret Tactical Handbook – let’s callhim/her Deep Goat – did so at great personal risk. I had to promise thememorize the document and then destroy it to leave no paper trail.

Here are just a few of the tacticsoutlined in this never-before-seen, 800 page document.

How to Make Promises You Never Intend toKeep

Proclaim the promise with greatenthusiasm and mock sincerity. Speak in broad terms and avoid specifics. Talk atlength about the intent and how this action is long overdue. Do not talk aboutactual logistics. Furrow your brow and wave your hands a lot for maximumeffect.

Remember that these promises do not needto be original. In fact, it is better if they are recycled as this makes iteasier to deny that it was your promise when you break it.

How to Justify Breaking Promises YouNever Intended to Keep

Choose the most expedient of the bigthree excuses:

#1: The mess left behind by the previousgovernment was much worse than expected. You have to mothball your promise tofocus on cleaning up their egregious mistakes and poor planning.

#2: You made the promise in absolute goodfaith. Unfortunately, the situation has changed in ways you could not havepredicted a year ago when you made the promise.

#3: You were egregiously misquoted. Theissue is something you promised to look into which you are in theprocess of doing and have engaged a consultancy for the purpose.

How to Make the Announcement of a MajorFinancial Handout

Make the announcement on-site at abusiness that stands to directly benefit from the handout. Arrange for 6 to 10individuals in work gear to be standing behind you as you speak. Theseindividuals need to be coached in looking proud but slightly uncomfortable.

Proudly proclaim the outrageous subsidyyour government is providing is a carefully considered investment that willensure the province / country will be the epicenter of the industry worldwide fordecades to come. End with the obligatory, best buddies handshake with the CEOof the company receiving the handout whose other hand is deep in the publicpocket.

The wealth of the tactics outlined inthe Politician’s Super-Secret Tactical Handbook are methods forembroidering the truth with false, misleading or open-ended details. It is afine art developed over centuries.

Stay tuned for more excerpts from thePlaybook including How to Answer a Question Without Actually Answering theQuestion.

~ Now Available Online from Amazon,Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage – Storiesby Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Untilthe Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel which was a double winner inthe Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me GoHmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions forsubscribing are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructionspage in the right sidebar. Ifyou’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularlyto my page for postings once a week.

The Inflation Iceberg: What Lies Below the Water?

Hmmm, what is this strange beast called inflationand how can we wrap our minds around it?

As I write this post, 155,000 members ofthe Public Service Alliance of Canada are on strike. A deal does not seem to belikely in the short term. Trudeau is too busy patting himself on the back forthe deal with Umicore to build a new battery materials facility in the province.

The primary issue at stake is a payincrease that keeps up with inflation. (I will circle back to that nebulous term.)PSAC has drawn a line in the sand. The federal government says: Sorry, nocan do. 3% annually is the best we can do. There does not appear to be amiddle ground.

How each of us reacts a strike of thisnature depends heavily on how directly we are impacted. It is a given thatincome tax refunds will be delayed. But the federal government refuses to extendthe tax filing deadline. They can be late delivering on their obligations butnot the rest of us. Can you say double standard?

In my case, having just retired, thestrike potentially affects my first Old Age Security (OAS) and Canada Pension Plan(CPP) payments. Revenue Canada is already running late. I have received confirmationof the amount of my OAS. No word yet on the exact amount of my CPP. It has beenin the processing queue for over six months. The strike may delay it further.

The process of applying for my OAS andCPP was exasperating in itself. Security questions up the wazoo and multiple codesI had to wait to receive by e-mail, text or in one case snail mail. Yes,snail mail. Each code had to arrive before I could proceed to the next step.I worked through my full repertoire of four letter words several times as Islogged through the process.

I am personally not in any hardshipposition where delays in my benefit payments are concerned. I have amplesavings and my company pension has already kicked in. My biggest concern ishaving to get on the phone and wait on hold for hours, once the strike ends, toinquire about the status of my CPP payment.

There are retired people who are livingfrom one benefit cheque to the next with nothing to spare. There are people onvarious forms of social assistance for whom their monthly benefit cheque doesnot come close to a livable figure at the best of times. From my perspective,Revenue Canada should pay them first. I can wait.

The background issue in this matter isthe runaway beast called inflation which few of us really understand. Insimple terms, it is the rate at which prices for goods and services rise and/orthe rate of which purchasing power drops. But I am certain that thisexplanation is really just the tiny part of the economic iceberg that is abovewater.

I cannot help but wonder if inflationis in fact an artificial construct created at some point along the way whichthe powers that be can blow up or deflate like a balloon as they see fit and asit benefits them. Yes, I know that sounds paranoid and reeks of conspiracytheory. I would be happy to be disavowed of this suspicion. Feel free to educateme on the matter.

~ Now Available Online from Amazon,Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage –Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Untilthe Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel which was a double winner inthe Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me GoHmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions forsubscribing are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructionspage in the right sidebar. Ifyou’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularlyto my page for postings once a week.

Retirement: Hoisting the Mainsails

Hmmm, what better way to launch myretirement boat than to admire the first breath of spring?

I am now two weeks into retirement. Youprobably want to ask: Do you miss work? My answer: An emphatic no. Notat all. Not one bit. I do miss the people I worked with but two plus years ofworking from home eased that transition.

Mother Nature has smiled on me this weekwith a stretch of early April summer-like weather. A reward, it would seem, forhanging in and crossing the finish line. I have seized on the opportunity toget an early start on my retirement nature ramblings.

You may not associate butterflies withearly April. But there are a few that spend the winter in adult form burrowedunder the leaf litter in a state of diapause – a period of suspendeddevelopment in response to adverse conditions. They emerge on the first warmdays getting a head start on the season.

If you are a betting person, you cansafely place your money on Mourning Cloaks being the first butterfly ofthe season. I have always thought that they are poorly named. There is nothingmournful about their rich brown cloak with the blue spot-band and corn yellowedges.

Right on the heels of the appearance of MourningCloaks come Compton Tortoiseshells. They are easy to overlook whentheir wings are closed displaying the dead leaf pattern of the outer wing. Butwhen they spread their wings to showcase the tortoiseshell pattern of brown,black and yellow, you cannot help but take notice of them and their burst ofcolour.

The first wildflowers pushing up throughthe blanket of last autumn’s fallen leaves are a reliable harbinger of spring.I am not a wildflower expert so I do not know the name of this blue beauty. Butthat does not stop me from stopping to admire and be inspired by it.

I have heard it said that embracingretirement is akin to setting the mainsails on your new boat. These snapshotsof spring are helping me to hoist the sales and launch into my days of leisure.

~ Now Available Online from Amazon,Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage –Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Untilthe Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel which was a double winner inthe Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me GoHmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribingare provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in theright sidebar. Ifyou’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularlyto my page for postings once a week

Trump Indictment: The Never-Ending Chess Game

Hmmm, once the political chess game begins does it ever really end?

I have for the most partavoided wading into the continuous circle of controversy around Donald Trump. Idid pen one post in the lead-up to his election as president primarily to purgemy mind of the irritation. I am choosing to do so again for the same purpose.

If you have been living undera rock and have not heard, Trump has been indicted on 34 felony criminalchanges of falsifying business records. Prosecutors allege he undermined theintegrity of the 2016 election through hush money payments relating toextramarital affairs.

I would like to issue four warnings about the Trump indictment.

Warning #1: Do not expect the trial to start anytime soon.Trump’s legal team has until August 8 to file motions. The prosecution willthen respond by September 8. The next in-person hearing is scheduled for December8. The earliest the trial could start is January 2024. But it is a safe bet thathis legal team will get that date pushed forward several times.

Warning #2: Do not expect the trial to be quick. Theprincipal defense tactic is such cases is stall, stall and stall again. The wheelsof justice grind slowly at the best of times. Trumps high-priced legal team isquite capable of slowing the process down to a crawl to frustrate all involved untilthey just want it to end whatever the outcome.

Warning #3: Do not expect a definitive outcome. Trump’slawyers will employ every legal trick in their repertoire to muddy the watersand bury the truth beneath layers of rhetoric. In the end, there will be no verdictof guilty or innocent. After endless posturing on both sides, they will arriveat a slap-on-the-wrist agreement to make the whole thing go away.

Warning #4: Do not expect the indictment to hamper Trump’sbid for another term in the Oval Office. Based on what little I have read,polling suggests that the Manhattan allegations have made Trump even more popularwith his base. His selection as the Republican contender in the next year’spresidential race is all but assured.

Donald Trump is the ultimate polarizingfigure. There is no middle ground where public sentiment is concerned. You eitheridolize him or despise him. Either way he stays forever in the public eye whichis always his end game.

The real indictment in the whole affair lands on the political and justice systems that permit and enable this circus to happen. It must be said that this is not unique to the United States. Canada is less inclined to public spectacle but equally inclined to play the never-ending chess game of politics where the rules are made up as you go along.

Now that I have had my say onthe matter, I will step away and watch from a distance. The media will no doubtprovide you with hourly updates as the chess game unfolds.

~ Now Available Online from Amazon,Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage –Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Untilthe Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel which was a double winner inthe Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me GoHmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions forsubscribing are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructionspage in the right sidebar. Ifyou’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularlyto my page for postings once a week.

Hallelujah I Am Free

Hmmm, can I get a hallelujah for finishingthe marathon?

I am not referring to the gospel hymn bythat name although some of the sentiment applies. I am declaring that I am nowofficially retired from the workforce. The reality is slowly taking form andsubstance for me. The fear that I will wake up tomorrow and find out it wasonly a dream is fading away.

It has been a long and winding road toget here. Taking into account part-time, after school jobs and summer jobs inmy college and university years, I have been in the workforce in some mannerfor close to 50 years. A bit of context: The remuneration for my firstpart-time job was $1.45 per hour.

A quick rundown of the various jobs I have held: grocery store clerk, general labourer (several times), timekeeper (twice), supervisor of student workers (twice), paint factory assembly line worker (two months), reporter-photographer and the gambit of positions in the marketing profession – coordinator, specialist, supervisor, team lead and manager.

In my early days in the workforce, multi-taskingmeant handling two or three projects at a time. At the end, it meant keeping somany plates spinning that your brain is in overdrive mode from the start of thework day to the end of it.

I have witnessed, and struggled to keeppace with, the relentless march of technology. When I started out, there wereno computers, no digital world and no cell phones. Yes, the dark ages. Electrictypewriters and Pong on a TV screen were the technological marvels.

I recall when desktop computers firstappeared in the workplace. We had one large, clunky one that was shared by everyone.We had to book time to use it. I remember attending a training session on thisnew thing call The Internet and thinking: I am never going to be ableto adapt to this thing.  Butmiraculously, I did.

There was a time when new versions of software programs came along every few years and there was time to figure out their intricacies. As the end of my work life was on the horizon, wave after wave of new tech – each generation more temperamental and buggy than the last – bombarded me every few months. Adapting was a sink or swim equation to hold onto my job.

My body and my brain have paid a priceover the years. Years of sitting at a desk seven or eight hours a day wore outmy back which now requires a chiropractic treatment every week. I have two setsof eyeglasses – one for computer use and another for everything else. My brainwas strained to the limit adapting to unrelenting change.

I have fought the good fight, survived(if barely) the thundering, high-speed train of technology, reinvented myselfseveral times and dodged countless bullets. My work life was a marathon raceand I stumbled across the finish line with precious little gas left in thetank.

But finally, at long last, I am free.Hallelujah, I made it!

~ Now Available Online from Amazon,Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage –Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Untilthe Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel which was a double winner inthe Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me GoHmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions forsubscribing are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructionspage in the right sidebar. Ifyou’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularlyto my page for postings once a week.