Monday, May 27, 2013

Some Gave All

I’ve never been in the military. Never wanted to be and so I never joined. I have nothing against the military; it’s just not my thing. A regimented lifestyle is not at all suited to my character, and the military has far too much of it. Besides, I have an attitude. And I’m not willing to change my opinions or behavior simply because I’m told to do so.

However, that doesn’t mean I’m not grateful we have a military. And I’m very thankful for what it has done for this country. As a proud American, I support our troops in any endeavor or mission. Aside from God, we owe everything we have in this country to the dedication and service of our armed forces.

Thanks to them, we still have our freedom. They have protected that freedom. Fought and died for that freedom. Many thousands of soldiers have served this country with honor. All sacrificed, and many paid the ultimate price, so that people like me could remain free. Free to go about our lives as we see fit. Free to pursue our dreams. Free to speak our minds. Free to choose our religion. Free to raise our families in peace. Free to live where we decide. Free to choose our own job. Free to celebrate holidays. Free to be ourselves. And in my case, free to have an attitude.

So, to all of those who serve or have served: Thanks. Thanks for all you do or have done. Thanks for fighting for America. Thanks for keeping this the Land of the Free. And to all those who never returned, and to their families, a sincere and humble thanks. We, as a nation, are forever in your debt.

That sounds so little and insignificant compared to those who gave all - especially coming from a guy who was never in the military. But maybe, in some small way, it will help to know that we are grateful.

Have a great Memorial Day!

Bruce A. Borders, author and songwriter, has over 500 songs and more than a dozen books. Over My Dead Body, The Journey, and Miscarriage Of Justice, his latest books, are available on Apple I-Pad®, Amazon Kindle®, Barnes & Noble Nook® and Sony Reader®, Kobo, Diesel Books, and Smashwords. Now also available in print at many online retailers or at www.bruceabordersbooks.weebly.com. The popular Wynn Garrett Series Books are now available on Barnes And Noble® at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?series_id=867526 See Bruce’s Smashwords Profile at www.smashwords.com/profile/view/BruceABorders #MiscarriageOfJustice

Monday, May 20, 2013

Experience - The Best Teacher

It’s strange how experiences from our childhood come back to visit later in life. Sometimes that can have an unfavorable effect, other times it may prove quite beneficial. After all, experience is the best teacher - so it’s said.

Thirty-some years ago, I lived out of town, beside a small creek. There usually wasn’t much water flowing in the creek, except during the spring run-off of melted mountain snow. Normally, that only lasted only a month or so and by the end of the summer, the water had dried up.

One summer, late in the year, I got the bright idea to reroute the creek. To change the course of the creek, even for a little ways, would be quite an accomplishment. I was under know delusion that such a chore would be easy, but I did underestimate the amount of work that would be required in my grand attempt to divert the water.

Steep banks lined the creek bed in most places but there was one spot where things flattened out for fifty or sixty feet. I decided that would be the place to create my water diversion and I spent several days moving rocks, dirt, and logs into position. In short, I shoveled dirt and rocks from one side of the creek bank and made a dam by piling it all on a couple of logs I had dragged down the hill. This also created a fairly low spot where I’d removed the dirt and rocks.

Next, I dug a small trench for a few yards downstream. With no water in the creek, it was pretty simple to design a new bed but nearly impossible to predict if my plan would actually work once the water had returned. Then came Fall and the rains started. The dried-up creek started flowing again. I was both surprised and pleased to see the creek now followed the shallow trench I had dug. In the days that followed, as more water came rushing through, the creek started cutting its own channel, extending my trench. Eventually, the water made it back to the original path of the creek - some thirty or more feet downstream.  For a few days I was happy with my project; I’d done what I’d set out to do. But being a ten-year-old kid, I soon forgot about it - until Spring.

As the snow began to melt in the higher elevations, the creek started to rise. A lot. One morning, I walked out to find the creek was out of its banks. It had flooded and there was water everywhere! My first thought was, “Oh no! I’m in trouble!” I believed I’d caused the flood.

For a few minutes, I stood staring at the water, wondering how on Earth I was going to get out of this. But then I realized that the excess of water had nothing to do with me or my little experiment. Instead of worrying about being in trouble, I started wondering which direction the creek would take once the water had gone down. Would it revert back to where it had been originally or follow the new path I had designed?

It was almost two weeks before I learned the answer. When the water had receded, I was elated to see that my dam had held! Even better was that the water had widened and deepened my trench. I had done it! I’d successfully changed the course of the creek - permanently!

Not long ago, I saw a listing for a job in the area. It seems a private landowner wanted someone to manage their waterways; to be in charge of diverting water to better facilitate the irrigation of their crops. I halfway considered applying. After all, I do have experience!

Bruce A. Borders, author and songwriter, has over 500 songs and more than a dozen books. Over My Dead Body, The Journey, and Miscarriage Of Justice, his latest books, are available on Apple I-Pad®, Amazon Kindle®, Barnes & Noble Nook® and Sony Reader®, Kobo, Diesel Books, and Smashwords. Now also available in print at many online retailers or at www.bruceabordersbooks.weebly.com. The popular Wynn Garrett Series Books are now available on Barnes And Noble® at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?series_id=867526 See Bruce’s Smashwords Profile at www.smashwords.com/profile/view/BruceABorders #MiscarriageOfJustice

Monday, May 13, 2013

In Training

I’ve never been that great at training people. I just don’t have enough patience. Other than where my kids are concerned, I always preferred to just to the job myself - the person I’m supposed to be training can watch. I know, not a very productive method of operation in the long run. But, it beats wasting time explaining things and demonstrating, only to have the trainee not pay attention and mess something up. Then, I end up having to re-do it. That’s not exactly productive either - and very frustrating.

Despite my aversion to training, I’ve had quite a lot of experience doing it (maybe that’s why I don’t like it) at a number of jobs. When I worked as a dental technician, we seemed to go through quite a few people in the plaster department. With many jobs, and especially something such as dental technician work, the job is an acquired skill that may take months - or longer - to master. I know this, but that didn’t lessen my frustration because every few months, just when the person was beginning to get the hang of things, they would quit and I’d have to start all over with a new hire.

One Monday morning, I was dreading going to work because, once again, I had a new person to train. I was prepared for the usual slow routine. But then, I got a welcomed surprise. My trainee was not the normal beginner. She actually listened to what I said and then did a fairly decent job of replicating it! Not bad for the first day! Over the next few weeks and months she continued to be a fast learner and did quite well. I was impressed, as was my co-worker, who helped to train her. Unfortunately, we came up with a strange way of showing our appreciation.

And now, it’s confession time.

While she was out on a delivery run one day, we melted down a few Hershey’s candy bars, pouring the chocolate into little paper cups and adding different toppings: peanuts, granola, or crushed hard candy - and to a few, fresh sawdust. Yep, sawdust. Not much, just a light sprinkling.

Our homemade candy had just enough time to cool by the time our victim returned. And yes, we did convince her to try our special “treats.” If I remember correctly, I think she said they “tasted kind of good but were nearly impossible to chew.”

A cruel trick, I know. We felt bad then and told her what we had done. She took it pretty well - sort of. But for some reason, she never really trusted us much after that.

And just so you know, she didn’t just let it go. No, she managed to get back at us in various ways - several times in fact. Guess you could say she’d learned the “trade” well. Apparently, I’m a better trainer than I thought!

Bruce A. Borders, author and songwriter, has over 500 songs and more than a dozen books. Over My Dead Body, The Journey, and Miscarriage Of Justice, his latest books, are available on Apple I-Pad®, Amazon Kindle®, Barnes & Noble Nook® and Sony Reader®, Kobo, Diesel Books, and Smashwords. Now also available in print at many online retailers or at www.bruceabordersbooks.weebly.com. The popular Wynn Garrett Series Books are now available on Barnes And Noble® at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?series_id=867526 See Bruce’s Smashwords Profile at www.smashwords.com/profile/view/BruceABorders #MiscarriageOfJustice

Monday, May 6, 2013

Highway Robbery

Do Not Stop On Roadway! Do Not Pick up Hitchhikers! These and other warning signs decorated the side of a secluded stretch of highway that I used to drive regularly. The road passed within a few hundred yards of a maximum-security prison.

In the past, inmates had been known to escape and then con, or force, some poor unsuspecting motorist out of their car. In many cases, the fugitives are desperate men with no qualms about carjacking or killing someone if it means a way of escape. I drove a semi truck through the area, which came with an added risk. Not only would the truck provide transportation, there also exists the potential of a huge payoff - depending on what load was being hauled in the trailer. While a lot of goods can be quickly turned into cash, other items are not so easily gotten rid of. For example: a load of cereal is worth $100,000 or so, but it’s no simple chore to liquidate 18,000 boxes of Cap’n Crunch. On the other hand, a load of electronics would be considered hitting the jackpot. The good news is, they have no way of knowing what a truck is hauling - or they aren’t supposed to anyway. It’s all a gamble, the luck of the draw. But I didn’t like the prospect of a highway robbery at the hands of escaped convicts who were hoping to strike it rich.

Back to my story. The numerous signs were erected to warn travelers of the dangers of stopping. Danger Zone - Keep Moving! Caution - No Parking at any time! And there were many more. Clearly, officials were quite convinced that portion of road was not at all safe. And so, it made the perfect place to break down. (Typed with the most sarcasm my fingers could muster).

And break down I did. It wasn’t anything major. I just needed to reconnect a couple of loose wires. All in all, I spent no more than five minutes on the side of the road and probably could have cut that time in half - if I hadn’t been keeping a wary eye on each and every approaching vehicle while listening and watching; constantly checking the surrounding terrain of tall grass to make sure no orange-clad bodies materialized.

Obviously, I made it back on my way with no ill effects. And I bet you’re wondering just what I was hauling. Okay, you probably weren’t - but you are now! So, what was the load? Well, not much really. Just six small pallets in fact. Except these particular six pallets held 45,000 lbs. of pure silver!

I think that load would have been considered striking the mother lode!

Bruce A. Borders, author and songwriter, has over 500 songs and more than a dozen books. Over My Dead Body, The Journey, and Miscarriage Of Justice, his latest books, are available on Apple I-Pad®, Amazon Kindle®, Barnes & Noble Nook® and Sony Reader®, Kobo, Diesel Books, and Smashwords. Now also available in print at many online retailers or at www.bruceabordersbooks.weebly.com. The popular Wynn Garrett Series Books are now available on Barnes And Noble® at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?series_id=867526 See Bruce’s Smashwords Profile at www.smashwords.com/profile/view/BruceABorders #MiscarriageOfJustice