Military Precision

Today I had the opportunity to witness a military operation.  I quite literally stumbled upon it. It was an organized effort like nothing I’d ever seen before.  I’m sure this particular battalion or company or whatever you call it had been training for months.

I thought I’d seen similar operations during my days at Texas A&M.  The Corps of Cadets would run precision drills through campus late in the day and if you were lucky enough to be in their path you would see them run by, singing strange songs. Heaven forbid you weren’t paying attention; you’d either have to join in the run or get run over.  

What I saw today is worthy of General MacArthur.  The unit was orchestrating up to 100 vehicles, 4 lines across, moving at a slow but steady pace.  Carefully placed traffic cones helped guide the vehicles to the right location.  Those in command walked in and out of the lines, speaking with drivers and guiding them in their next move. 

Walkie-talkies were in full use as each team member communicated updates to central command.  Hand signals were also being used. Occasionally a uniformed member would hand what appeared to be an instruction sheet to the driver of the vehicle.  It was hard to tell what they were saying, but it seemed like they were talking in code.  

Sounds of static could be heard as the uniformed officer barked orders into the walkie-talkie.  “That’s right; I got a couple of 4x4's, animal style, a flying Dutchman, one fries, two drinks for car number 125. And make it snappy.” 

What was this strange operation?

You guessed it.  I was not at Ft. Hood or Camp Pendleton.  This was the opening of an In-N- Out Burger. 

Oh yeah, it needed this much organization.

For those of you who are fortunate enough to live in California, another In-N- Out is no big deal.  For those of us in Dallas, it’s HUGE.  We’ve been waiting for this for a long time.  We love our home-grown Whataburger, but IMHO there’s nothing quite like an In-N-Out burger, animal style, of course.

We parked a block away and walked over.  I’ve never been in such an organized crowd.  Waiting with the other burger-hungry fans, it was amazing to watch the drills executed around us.  At least 15 people cooking, prepping, passing out orders.  Several others on table clean-up. I lost track of the number of employees outside working the car lines. 

The mob was hungry and noisy but patiently waited their turn in line.  The order takers barked our requests like military drill sergeants.  The whole situation reminded me of a SNL skit, with John Belushi and Dan Akroyd yelling, “Cheeburger, cheeburger, chips, no Coke, Pepsi!”. 

We shared a table with strangers, all of us drawn by the force of a simple hamburger and fries. We just had to have one. And everyone had stories.  “We go to California each year and every time we eat at In-N-Out”.  “I used to eat them when I was in LA on business”.  “Last year in Phoenix, we spotted one as we were driving to the hotel and had to stop for a burger – and it was only 10:30 am!.”

I heard on the news that In-N-Out pays pretty well, more than minimum wage. And I bet you get to eat free too. 

Hmm…maybe I’ve found my next career opportunity.

Funeral for a Friend

(Today is a departure from my usual humor. Bear with me; this means a lot to me.)

Recently I was shocked to learn that a long-time friend had passed away.  Opening the paper to the obituary section, his face jumped out at me and my heart fell. 

We had been friends for what seems like forever.  We were the kind of friends that may not speak regularly, sometimes communicating through Christmas cards alone.   But we were always there for each other.

He could make me laugh with his stories.  He came to my side when I was recovering from life-threatening illness. He was pivotal in helping my family when dad died.   Learning of his death rattled me to my core.

The visitation at the funeral home was difficult since I had no idea he had been sick.  Such a private individual, I’m sure he didn’t want anyone fussing over him.  Cancer is never a good thing, is it?

I needed to be there. To express my condolences to his life-partner and extended family.  I needed to be there for myself too, to understand what happened and say good-bye.

What breaks my heart the most is not learning that he suffered from cancer.  It was hearing that, like many of us, he had lost his job some time ago.  Always difficult for anyone.  It’s my understanding that in his final months and days, as he battled illness, he felt like a failure. Simply because he lost his job.

My fear is that there are many people who feel like a failure because of a job loss.                                Listen to me, people: you are not a failure. 

We are so much more than our jobs. While we know this deep down, it’s still a difficult concept for many of us to accept.  But please take a step back and relish your success: your friends, your family, your skills, your education, your health.  A job loss is insignificant in comparison.

If you know someone who’s lost their job, reach out to them.  Just in case they might be feeling less-than successful.  

I wish I had known that you were suffering, my friend.  I’ll miss you and your caring spirit. Rest in peace. 

My Car, My Think Tank

Inspiration comes at the oddest times and in the strangest places.

First I should explain that my mind is one that seems to be in constant motion. I’m always thinking. Not necessarily lofty thoughts either – if that were the case I’m sure I would have made better grades in college physics.

It’s just that I’m usually thinking quickly about several things at the same time, moving from one thought to the next at lightning speed. This can be a communication issue when talking to my hubby.  He’s still pondering my question, “what shall we have for dinner”, while I’ve moved on to “the car needs gas”, “mom’s on her way over” and “let’s book the flights for vacation”.  Let me assure you that “chicken” is not the right answer to the vacation question. 

It’s not hubby’s fault. My mind moves faster than even I can process, which can be good but most the time it’s a nuisance.  I’ll have a fabulous idea but before I can truly think about it, my mind is on to something else.  And I’ve forgotten my fabulous idea.

This has been happening to me a lot lately.  Quite frankly, I’m getting tired of my lack of focus.  I want to sit at my desk, creative ideas flowing without forgetting them in a nanosecond.

Luckily I’m able to find calm, relaxing places that allow my mind to wander and the creativity just flows.  Bad news is these places are a bit unusual.

Take my car, for example. A VW New Beetle, complete with the bud vase and flowers, it’s a great source of inspiration for me.  Not sure whether it’s simply the look of the car, or perhaps I unknowingly purchased the premium model that emits creative energy when the engine is on.  Whatever it is, the Beetle has become a think-tank for me.

It never fails either. I’ll be driving down the road listening to Gaga, or U2 or whoever and creative ideas and thoughts just flow one after the other. It takes forever to get to my destination because I’m constantly pulling over to record my ideas so I won’t forget them.

Walking the dog can also be a good way to gather thoughts.  Just me and my pooch strolling in the neighborhood.  Listening to the sounds of nature and the cadence of Kylie’s trot, here come the creative ideas.  Embarrassing part is that I’ve noticed I talk to myself while I’m doing this, trying to keep track of all my thoughts. I’m sure the neighbors have written me off as the crazy person walking her dog and carrying a bag of poop.

Yet apparently for me, the absolute best time and place for creative thinking is on Sunday. In church. During the sermon.  How embarrassing! My minister is not going to like this. 

The lights are dim, the air is cool and I’ve got nowhere to go for a good 20 – 30 minutes.  It’s perfect!

I’m sure others sitting near me think I’m taking copious notes about the lesson. Nope, I’m frantically scribbling my ideas in the margin of the bulletin before my thoughts escape me.  There’s almost a rhythm here: listen, get creative idea, write notes about idea, listen again.

Except, of course, that I’m supposed to be listening intently to the great life lesson set before me each week. My sincere apologies to our wonderfully gifted minister. I really do hear your message. Maybe you’re a bit too inspirational?

While my ability to multi-task has served me well during my career, my busy mind is not so productive in this new phase of work when I’m trying to be creative and focused.   That requires one to be calm. If you’ve met me, I doubt “laid-back” and “calm” are words you use to describe me. 

I should be able to sit at my desk in our beautifully remodeled office and be inspired.  After all, we spent big bucks trying to make it an oasis for working at home.

What’s happening to me? Is this a product of the layoff, not having one big thing (work) to focus on while instead my mind tries to process multiple unrelated tasks?  After all, I’m not used to running a household and trying to build my business and trying to interview and work a part-time job at the same time.   Not to mention the other distractions around me, like laundry and swimming pool and TV.

Maybe this is just a phase I’m going through. Or maybe it’s one of the life lessons I was supposed to learn on Sunday.  Who knows? 

Just be patient with me if you see me walking the dog, talking to myself. I’m harmless, although I am carrying a loaded bag of poop.