...Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. isn't attributed to that quote in the header (no one is really, I looked) but he should be.

My Dad and wife are PhD scientists who have spent most of their lives gathering a logical collection of experimentally-proven facts in order to form a calm and rational hypothesis-- except when the Dallas Cowboys are playing (Dad) or St. Louis Cardinals (Wife) are on the field.  Then it can get kinda loud.

If you've spent any time with me you know I'm like the people I just described-- well-measured and thoughtful. Usually, I try to stay emotionally collected in any discussion of issues. But I recently discovered that two of my professional friends/colleagues had excused themselves from working to correct a situation, which really infuriated me. One of them laid the issue at the feet of other people in higher positions of authority, rationalizing that "if those people don't do X then we'll never have Y." My exchange with the second colleague included this individual looking at what he perceived as a problem through his "rear view mirror."

Don't think that way and don't act that way, please. 

When perplexed about why something in our society has gone awry, start asking questions about why and how that happened. And, if you can do the slightest thing to make it better, make it so. 

Take the long view and don't get caught up in how loud it can get.

I looked at these separate events and thought, "Putting your back to a problem does not solve it."  My parents taught me that at home.  My wife is that way now. You don't need a PhD to come to that conclusion- just a healthy dose of calm and purpose.

doug@knowledgewebb.net

*Chantal de la Rionda Edits this blog