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I was even interviewed by a reporter for the Cold Lake newspaper. No one at the paper could think of a title for the article, though, so they called out to the test center, and whoever answered the phone said, “Just call it ‘Canadian Wins Top Test Pilot’ or something to that effect.” A friend mailed me a copy of the article, which was a nice keepsake as well as a reality check for my ego. The headline that ran? “Canadian Wins Top Test Pilot or Something to that Effect.”
In the van, we can see the rocket in the distance, lit up and shining, an obelisk. In reality, of course, it’s a 4.5-megaton bomb loaded with explosive fuel, which is why everyone else is driving away from it.
Anticipating problems and figuring out how to solve them is actually the opposite of worrying: it’s productive.
Comparing notes on how unfair or difficult or ridiculous something is does promote bonding—and sometimes that’s why griping continues, because it’s reinforcing an us-against-the-world feeling. Very quickly, though, the warmth of unity morphs to the sourness of resentment, which makes hardships seem even more intolerable and doesn’t help get the job done. Whining is the antithesis of expeditionary behavior, which is all about rallying the troops around a common goal.
If you’re seen as being consistently inconsiderate, or just out for yourself, there’s a direct impact on communication and, usually, overall productivity. People simply won’t work as well with you as they would with someone whose behavior was a little more expeditionary.
Earth is a durable, absorbent, self-correcting, life-supporting place that has its own problems—natural ones, like ash-spewing volcanoes. But we make matters infinitely worse through poor stewardship. We need to take a longer-term view of the environment and try to make things better wherever we can.
