The American Stage
By Tammy Derouin
Life has a way of creating checks and balances. We see it daily in our personal and business
decisions. Every move we make is open for debate and discussion. How we react to and handle life’s challenges
gives us more control of the situation.
News will not always be pleasant, but better to take care of a small
uncomfortable situation before it gets out of control, than to wait until it
becomes a dire situation intent on destroying lives and relationships.
An uncomfortable feeling; a red flag serves as a warning
that something isn’t right. Ignoring it
will not make it go away. In fact,
ignoring warning signs will only make the outcome worse. You may end up going
down a bumpy, gravel road in the short term, but I’d rather deal with short
term hardship than long term misery.
I wonder how many other Americans feel like they are now
sitting in the passenger seat of an out-of-control vehicle. The eyes dart from
the map to the road, back and forth, knowing full well that something isn’t
right. We have been off course at
different times in our past. This will
happen from time to time. Experience
from the past has taught us that when the scenery doesn’t look familiar and we
get that undeniable feeling in the pit of our stomach, it’s time to pull over
and regroup. Of course, there are a few
roles which need to be clearly established.
The driver, the navigator and the arbiter all have different
roles. Each performs a vital
function. Neither is greater than or
lesser than the other. Their knowledge
may be very similar but their responsibilities are different. All roles are necessary to ensure that the
correct path is traveled. Each role
establishes boundaries. Although
everyone may have similar knowledge, individual desires and the means to an end
may vary.
The driver assumes the lead position. He becomes the front man, the representative
of the entire vehicle. That doesn’t mean
he is all knowing or all powerful. He is
not on a solo mission. For whatever
reason, his experience, knowledge, ability to cow poo through a conversation or
the inability for the rest of the crew or passengers to see his fatal flaws, has
put him in the driver’s seat. However he
got there, he’s there until the others recognize a smoking engine and a stiff
right leg.
The navigator works closely with the driver. This is a critical position. The navigator is responsible for checking the
course the driver has set in motion. It’s
also a position which can cause frustration for the driver. Frequent arguments will occur on the
journey. Although this process may slow
the trip down from time to time, it brings to light possible flaws and obstacles
to consider before changing direction. This process is supposed to ensure that
the best path, as set forth by the map, has been chosen.
The arbiter plays yet another critical role. When the driver or navigator wanders off
course, you can bet you will hear from the arbiter. Opinions and thoughts will fly and
discussions will get heated. All forward
motion comes to a stop. The arbiter, who
is also extremely knowledgeable in map reading, will look at the facts, our
current location and the direction we are heading. He will issue his ruling and the course will
either continue or be altered.
Most of us have played all of the above roles. It’s interesting how we can recognize that
having checks and balances in our personal lives is not only helpful but, in
many cases, necessary. To protect our
individual interests, we seek out advice and ask for guidance. We know that pain or the feeling that
something isn’t right, serves as a warning.
Ignoring it will only make our health, our mental well-being and our
over-all quality of life, worse.
Why is that so difficult to see on the American stage? When the driver assumes too much power and
disregards the navigator, why do we ignore it?
When the driver unilaterally decides where we are going, how we are
going to get there and then forces everyone to pay for and build the road he
wants to travel, why do we accept it?
Instead of calling for a check on the power grab, we happily sing a
traveling song.
The blinders are securely in place as we voluntarily remove
our rights. We take one down, stomp it
to the ground and give the driver one less hurdle to worry about.
“A nation of well informed men who have been taught to know
and prize the rights which God has given them cannot be enslaved. It is in the region of ignorance that tyranny
begins.”
Benjamin Franklin
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