Taking Care of Your Toys

Take care of your toys, my mother told me, or I'll take them away.

Be it love or friendship or a small business, things that you neglect, abuse, or take for granted tend to dry up and disappear. And so it is with the small business I once worked for - left in the hands of a fool who bled it dry, he profited without effort while others worked their hearts out, took credit for their ideas and accomplishments, was willfully blind to the warning signs of trouble and cavalierly ignored the needs of anyone but himself. Even now, he seeks out the center stage of failure for no other reason than it is center stage, one more opportunity to strut and preen in the spotlight. He isn't even aware of passing over those who contributed to the business - it doesn't occur to him to mention anyone else's name since they are not the people he sees in the mirror and therefore of no consequence. It's not intentional - it's just that he's not very bright. His are sins of vanity, arrogance, laziness, a blind, grasping self centeredness and a stunning, hopeless stupidity. Unlike most business people who would be distressed by personal failure, he sees this as a photo op.

Soon it will be all gone, the Chamber of Commerce breakfasts, the Business After Hours get togethers, the Downtown Development meetings, all the places where his position afforded him admittance. There'll be no more newspaper interviews or tv spots, no more press coverage. The things that matter will be taken away like uncared for toys and only bartenders will still know his name and his drink. He will become publicly what he has been privately all along - common, inept, laughable, artificial and of no use - because beneath the surface there is only empty space and dead air, carefully contained by walls of narcissism.

At one time or another, we all fall short of a challenge or an opportunity. We have moments, even phases, where we retreat and don't give our best. We learn and grow from such experiences.

At one time or another, we all put ourselves first and mistreat the people we care for. We make amends.

At one time or another, we are all flighty and distracted, not seeing the forest for the trees and rejecting the advice and wisdom we're offered. This teaches us to listen and pay attention.

At one time or another, we all think we know better, are better, are entitled to better. Humility usually follows.

At one time or another, we are all caught in the net of materialism. We usually outgrow it.

At one time or another, we all shirk responsibility in favor of blame. This teaches us honesty and accountability and the value of doing our best.

Not everyone learns these lessons, preferring to be stick figures, taking up space and driven only by self serving ambition and ego. They are eventually exposed and left behind and when they fall, no one helps them up after the first time. They bring about their own downfall and are too pretentious and plastic to understand why. There are a great many things about ourselves that we can change - we can learn to be more forgiving, more thoughtful, less selfish. We can learn to consider others and do better at the things that matter. Perhaps we can even cultivate and grow emotions and conscience. But you can't fix stupid.

Arrogance rides triumphantly through the gates, barely glancing at the old woman about to cut the rope and spring the trap. Mario Cooley