As a once Military Policeman, I learned you can tell a lot about a person’s personality and people skills but how they drive. It’s very interesting actually.
In my world, the lowest or simplest level of thinking is self/only. All of us might have to adopt this level in our lives. It usually happens in times of physical challenges or high stress. The next level is of course when you are concerned for another, even to the point of doing without something for yourself. The highest level is when you think about others or the environment in which we all live, even into the future, and how your decision now, may affect it all going forward. Peripheral influence is being aware of how you communicate to others, and more importantly, to those that are observing your interaction with someone. A great example, and this happened to me, was at my counter in my store. I was helping a lady with her musical instrument and subsequently, the care of her instrument. It had obviously not been cared for and I was trying to delicately explain how to avoid some of the issues she now had by better care and awareness. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed her young daughter, crossed her arms, and began glaring at me. I realized she was not happy with my method of advising her mother. Mid conversation, I changed my tone, and style. That was my first glimpse into peripheral influence. If I was to stick my fist out and cuss another driver, I of course affect both myself, and the other person. I also affect anyone riding with me, or who may be in the car with the other driver. I also may affect folks walking in the vicinity. Where does one feel responsible to others?
The reach can be far and wide. Do you think there is a reasonable limit of concern? Meaning how far out should ones influence be noted before we no longer feel responsible for the potential ramifications?
After an incident this morning, gonna add get frustrated when go to a public restroom...and they are completely out of TP smh.
When I'm annoyed with people in the real world, I come here, and instantly appreciate those I was originally annoyed with. Thank you s2!
I’m cool with slow drivers. I live in an inner city residential neighborhood. It’s 20 MPH on the busiest street. And through out our neighborhood are official city bike baths with speed bumps. I have no beef with people that drive slow other than the fast lane of the freeway. Those people are morons. But I don’t let it get to me, I just zip around ‘em. I have a Super Charged V8, but don’t drive like I do, only on cool long road trips on back roads.
Good point. I think that each person would do well to at least ponder the idea. Somewhere inside each of us, there is a level, that might take our life experience to its best place. Everyone is wired differently. I would hazard a guess that many are capable of considering their affects on others....far more than they currently do. At the same time, there are folks who probably diminish their own lives by ignoring the self too much.
You want to talk frustration, fams? My job ended first week in May. We parted with reasonable goodwill. They had hired me for 6 months and extended to a year, but all my initial projects and all the additional ones were complete. I applied for unemployment and was told I qualified. During Covid, California was expediting unemployment claims and too many people took advantage to file bogus claims, costing taxpayers a mint. So now they require establishing identity. I tried the facial scan, four times, different rooms, four failures. Then I tried video chat, twice. Both times disconnected. I printed the form, filled it out by hand and mailed it. Pens and postage stamps still work. They notified me I had to establish identity by uploading my driver's license and W-2. I did and got notice upload successful. When nothing happened, I logged in and saw I was disqualified. I called to find out what was going on. The rep said I had not established identity. I about blew a gasket, told her all I had done to establish identity. She checked and confirmed my license and W-2 were there. But call center employees can't certify qualification. That takes 4-6 weeks, during which time I would receive no benefits but would get all back weeks. She told me to talk to appeals. I talked to someone there who said they had sent a disqualification letter that I should receive in a day or so. He said when I receive it I should file an appeal and enclose copies of the IDs. I asked if I could come in to prove I am really me. He said they have no in person appointments. When I received the disqualification notice, I appealed, described everything I had done to establish identity, enclosed copies, and respectfully requested they lift the disqualification. A week later I got a letter a hearing would be scheduled at a future date. Just what I had offered to do, come in. A month passed with no further notice. I called the number on the appeal letter. A very rude woman said I was not "in her system" and would not be until a judge was assigned. I said I don't need a judge, there is no dispute, just look at the information they have. She wouldn't talk to me. So I called unemployment again. The rep said she would ask for a supervisor to take a "second look" at my documentation. I said actually this was a first look as no one had looked at it. She said that takes about 24 hours. Two weeks later still nothing and when I tried to file weeks for certification their system wouldn't let me. I called yet again and asked for a supervisor or someone who could actually do something. The rep noted a request for "second" look had been filed but nothing done. She requested a "second" look again. She then had me talk to ID department. The rep said she would escalate. If I heard nothing in 3 days, call back. After 3 days I looked on line again. They said I had been paid for my first two claims and also that my last payment was February 2019 (from my most recent previous job). Two mutually exclusive statements. I still had the debit card from four years ago so tried to log on to see if any funds had been put on the card. It would not let me log in. I tried resetting password since it had been so long; they did not recognize my user name. Called yet again. The rep said they had just certified me that day, which was why it showed payment but I hadn't received anything yet. I told her the debit card wasn't working. She said to call Bank of America for a new card and then notify them. I was by this time on my 11th call. She said another option was paper checks. Although schlepping to the bank each time is a nuisance I was sick of their damn technology and said just mail me checks. She said she could now clear the system so I could submit all my weeks, which I did. Monday in the mail I got five envelopes, each containing a separate check. (They could have saved stamps. Our tax dollars at work). Tuesday I took them all to the bank. The teller gave me a peculiar look. I didn't feel like telling her the whole tale, just that there had been a glitch in their system that had finally cleared. My wall is bruised from beating my head into it.
The worst is when you’re on a long drive and there’s no passing lane for several miles and you’re going 15 OVER the speed limit and some jackass is riding your tail. Had that happen 3 times coming back early morning from Bend a couple weeks ago.
