Success Grabbers

I enjoyed the inaugural events yesterday and not because of any political connections, although they are rife. I appreciated seeing at least an attempt to return this country to some form of lunacy. Biden is now our president. I challenge all of the Trump supporters who complained about the liberals refusing to call Trump their president four years ago to be better than those people were. They were wrong, as you will be if you deny Biden is now president for all of us. I’m not looking at the situation with rose colored glasses. I know difficult times are ahead but yesterday I saw the return of honor to Washington. This is something sorely lacking over the last four+ years. You either believe in your country or you don’t. It will be a truly sad day if a majority of Americans, from either side of the political spectrum, puts their political party and beliefs in front of their country. Trump was my president (something I’m not extraordinarily proud of) and Biden is now my president. You see, it isn’t that difficult.

House Last Night with Flags and Garden Lights

One of the real dangers in the days ahead will be the revenge seekers. People who want to take advantage of the new political realities to pay back some of their real or perceived indignities of the recent past. That was one of the most telling (and almost thrilling) parts of Biden’s speech yesterday. He made an honest effort to reach out to the other side. I hope he succeeds, again, our president. The biggest challenge may be success grabbers (my own term) from both his side and the opposition. We’ve all run into these people throughout our life. People who want to take credit for a triumph or feat, even if they were part of a team or only tangentially involved. I saw some of this in the military but I was boggled when I transitioned to civilian life and had to interact with politicians. The old saying that “success has a thousand fathers while a failure is an orphan” could not be more apt. I’ve always found that doing the work and then ensuring any plaudits received are shared with your team is the most effective method of building said team. If you’ve got an effective boss, and I’ve been blessed in this department, he/she will see through the smoke screen of success grabbers and focus on who really did the work. Biden’s challenge will be to recognize the work being done without falling victim to the grabbers.

My Favorite Panamanian was so stoked about the inauguration yesterday that she ventured outside in freezing temperatures. Those who know her realize what a serious amount of motivation was required for her to do that. She claims to be allergic to cold weather, which, for her, is anything below 60 degrees. She was outside to emplace a series of American flags around her vast garden complex. She took some boiling water outside to melt the ground so she could stick the flags in. As dark fell and it got even colder her resolve waned and I was press ganged into going outside to colorize her new garden lights into a red, white and blue sequence. It reminded me even more, if that is possible, how much I missed being at our condo. My sister-in-law and her friend sent me greetings from their stay at the condo, saying they were drinking a beer on the beach in my honor. It was even worse when I looked outside to see this.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BR3 – granddaughter #3, BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law; Wingman – my son in law; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; PanaGals – female relatives /friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member, Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn