"Being the kind of guy I am, I sensed an opportunity to make things worse. It’s one of several serious personal shortcomings. I am an unrepentant provocateur. Have been since birth. I can’t help it."
I love this guy On Thu, Jun 30, 2016 at 11:17 AM, Chuck McCown <[email protected]> wrote: > Make that “used to be a cop” > Fingers not cooperating today. > > *From:* Chuck McCown <[email protected]> > *Sent:* Thursday, June 30, 2016 10:03 AM > *To:* [email protected] > *Subject:* Re: [AFMUG] OT copywrite infringtement > > I wish I could take credit, but this was written by Robert Kirby, a local > columnist in the Salt Lake Tribune. He is very popular. Used to be a > copy. Is a bit of a non mainstream Mormon like me. > > *From:* Jaime Solorza <[email protected]> > *Sent:* Thursday, June 30, 2016 9:57 AM > *To:* Animal Farm <[email protected]> > *Subject:* Re: [AFMUG] OT copywrite infringtement > > > I am proud of you Chuck...not because of my race but because you acted > like a decent American. To the native Americans up there We are all > immigrants. Also I like watching Trumpets heads blow up...ha > On Jun 30, 2016 8:32 AM, "Chuck McCown" <[email protected]> wrote: > > I hope this is fair use: > (Kirby's column from the SL Tribune this morning) > > I’ve never met a situation I couldn’t make worse > A couple of weeks ago in Butte, Mont., I watched an elderly couple have a > full-on public meltdown in the hallway of a motel. > > We had driven 500 miles, and my wife was still asleep. I crept out of our > room and went in search of the free breakfast. That’s when I encountered > the couple. > > The angry woman was accusing one of the housekeeping staff of stealing a > jewelry case they had left in the room. The young, tearful worker was > trying to explain in really poor English that they should check with the > front desk. > > The language barrier only made the old woman madder and the young worker > more upset. The woman kept yelling at her to hand over the missing item and > then go back to Mexico where she belonged. Her husband adamantly agreed. He > had a Trump button on his jacket. > > Being the kind of guy I am, I sensed an opportunity to make things worse. > It’s one of several serious personal shortcomings. I am an unrepentant > provocateur. Have been since birth. I can’t help it. > > When someone is throwing a public fit like this, it’s impossible forme to > not step in and help them completely lose their minds. God help me, I love > it. > > The maid wasn’t from Mexico. She was from El Salvador. I know because she > told me. But it was my next question that really set things off. > > “¿Cuál es el problema de este bruja?” I asked. [So what’s the problem with > this witch?] The nervous smile I got from the worker detonated the old > woman’s temper. She hadn’t understood a word I said, but she now knew that > I was on the maid’s side. > > Spittle flying, head bobbing, dentures clacking, she looked like a > RainBird as she screamed and accused all immigrants of being thieves and me > of being a smartass. > > I still wanted some waffles. But no way was I going to pass up a chance to > wind someone up until their head exploded. It’s why I would never make a > good hostage negotiator. > > To get the couple off the maid’s back, I offered to help them fi nd their > missing jewelry case. We went to the front desk and inquired. > > The case was there. Another guest had turned it in when he found it in the > breakfast room on the serving line next to the scrambled eggs. > > Checking the contents of a jewelry bag, the old woman satisfied herself > that nothing had been stolen. She looked at me and sneered. > > Her: “I still wish they would go back to Mexico.” > > Me: “And they wish they could punch you in the face.” > > Her Husband: “Hey! That’s my wife. > > Me: “OK, you punch her.” > > The manager and some security- looking guy showed up then and told us to > calm down for the sake of the other guests. I admitted that the > misunderstanding had been my fault. Wewere all a little on edge because of > the political climate in America. > > “But things will get better when Hillary is president and we all have to > learn Spanish.” > > I thought they were going to need an ambulance. They grabbed the jewelry > bag and stormed out. Climbing into their Trumper-stickered truck with Iowa > plates, they peeled away cursing immigrants and interfering smartasses > alike. My wife was awake when I got back to the room. > > “What’s breakfast like?” > > “Not bad. There was a floor show, but you missed it.” > > -- If you only see yourself as part of the team but you don't see your team as part of yourself you have already failed as part of the team.
