Lots of Little Things

I have a few things today.

First.

We took The Peanut to swim class yesterday. She asks about it regularly during the week and wants to go. Since it’s a parent and tot class I get in with her and she asks about games that we’ll play. One she asks for is called “Bouncy Bouncy”. Basically I bounce up and down while holding her and moving in a circle with the other parents in front of the water slide while saying “bouncy bouncy”. When we get in front of the slide I put her on the last two or three feet and pull her to me.

The thing that gets me is when we get there after being asked about it for a while she says she doesn’t want a turn on the slide. She got one anyway, and enjoyed it, but there was definitely some nervous anticipation there.

I really, really want her to be good in the water. He mother is afraid of anything deeper than a bath tub. I fear big water (the Great Lakes, seas and oceans) just enough to keep from doing anything stupid. But I’m very, very at home in the water. I’m not Michael Phelps, but it’s just because I’m shorter, fatter and lacking in his natural talent and drive. But I bet I’m just as comfortable in the pool. I want that level of comfort for The Peanut. Ultimately I want her to be my dive buddy and take her (and her potential sibling, or siblings if Mona has her way) on SCUBA trips. My biggest fear is that my desire for it will turn her off completely.

How do you balance that?

Second.

My boss has had some family issues lately and has been somewhat absent from the office. He’s told me what they are and I fully understand and support his decision. I think I’m turning into his wise older guy employee who can help him with what I’ll call for lack of a better word and with honest humility, my “wisdom”. Truthfully if I can give him the benefit of my experience then I’m glad.

But lately he’s also leaning on me to fill in for him when he’s out. Again not something I mind doing. I don’t want his job but I am a team player and if I can help him out I’m glad to do it.

The problem I have is this- I only have 38 more working days left at this job. The more he comes to lean on me the worse I fear having to quit. I know he’ll be fine and so will the company and my customers. I have no illusions about being indispensible. It’s just that the thought of letting this guy down really bothers me. Which is also a very new experience. I think I need a hug.

Third.

We’ve taken The Peanut to a couple of Halloween events this year. One at Greenfield Village (which I really liked) and one at the Detroit Zoo. We put her in a little bumblebee outfit which is very cute but she doesn’t really seem to dig the whole Halloween thing yet. Mostly she just rides along in her stroller and gets tired and cranky by about 7:30.

I’m sure it will be better next year. Halloween is my favorite holiday, followed by the Fourth of July. If only there was a way to incorporate explosives into Halloween it would be perfect. Costumes, free candy, anonymous giving and guilt free taking. What could possibly be better?

Fourth.

I just recently figured out how to explain my views on taxation and the concept of “fairness”. I think it’s only right that I get to keep what I earn. And that other people should get to keep what they earn. I don’t believe I have a right to the fruits of the labor of anyone who isn’t me.

So let’s look at it this way. Imagine life is a classroom. A few people who are really smart or very driven to study get A’s. A few more people get B’s and the largest chunk of students get C’s. D’s should occur about as often as B’s and F’s, Incompletes and Drops should about equal the number of A’s.

I tend to get A’s. If the Dean came down to a class I was in and told everyone with a C or below that he would be giving them some extra points to bring up their grades by taking a few points from the A and B students I would be furious. And if you added up all those points taken away and redistributed you would find that they aren’t really enough to change the grades of the people who got them in the first place. So now we end up with a system where no one is better off. How is that a good idea?

In order to go further with this example we’d have to start a very long discussion about the nature of money and wealth. My view is that it is unlike matter and energy in that it can be created where it had not previously existed. Therefore wealth has, or can be, infinite, whereas matter cannot. And if the amount of wealth is potentially unlimited we can’t punish the very rich for having a lot of it. They can’t really have more of infinity. And their share of infinity does not restrict me from getting the largest share possible. Does that make sense?

Last.

I have more stuff, but the dogs are wrestling, The Peanut is getting up and I really ought to get Mona up before the whole day is gone.

Hasta la bye bye, for now.