The View from a Drawbridge

Tag: integrity

  • Obfuscation

    I am very confused by people who don’t say what they mean and mean what they say. That seems to be the case with a lot of people here in the Pacific Northwest, and it’s why I’ll probably always feel like a stranger in a strange land as long as I live here. I prefer…

  • Coping Mechanisms

    We are all a product of our past. The way we cope with things in the present is greatly influenced by what we’ve experienced in our lives. Our psyches do not always know best. All they know is that it’s important to survive, and if something has worked, however twisted it may be, then, hey,…

  • Greed

    I’ve been learning a very unpleasant economics lesson lately. Attempting to buy a house in the Seattle, Washington area is leaving a bitter taste in my mouth indeed. This is the most booming seller’s market in the entire country, and therefore I’m experiencing cutthroat competition. I’ve seen house values nearly double in the three years…

  • Dedication

    I admire dedication. For instance, when I watch the rowing crews practicing in the pouring rain in the dead of Seattle winter, I think, “Wow. I could never do that.” But that’s not true. I could do that, I suppose. But would I? Hell no. I like warmth. And if I can’t have warmth, I…

  • Not My Problem

    I spent the first hour of my shift today with a battery operated leaf blower, cleaning off the sidewalks and the bike lanes of my bridge. A clean bridge is a happy bridge. At least that’s my motto. I take pride in showing this drawbridge in its very best light, and in my quarterly reviews…

  • Schooled by Jon Stewart

    I will always wonder if this election wouldn’t have gone differently if Jon Stewart hadn’t retired prior to the campaign. To me, he is the epitome of a well-spoken and reasonable human being. Unfortunately the people who needed to listen to him the most were the very ones who never watched his show. More and…

  • What Do You Recommend?

    Many years ago I had a boyfriend who was a plumber. I assumed he knew what he was doing. After all, he got a paycheck for it week after week, year after year. So when friends needed plumbing, I’d recommend him. If he did it as a side job, they’d save money and he’d earn…

  • The Dark Side of Achievement

    I’ve always been a huge success in the academic world. Top of my class. The envy of my peers. So everyone, including me, assumed I’d be a huge success in the real world as well. I’m fairly certain my mother believed I’d be the CEO of a fortune 500 company by the time I was…

  • Having Your Heart Broken by a Career Choice

    I was the morning of the third day of my dream job, and I was so excited. My life was changing for the better, It’s a rare gift when you can have a job that you love. I fell in love with Dental Laboratory Technology as a student. I sold my house, left a 16…

  • The Definition of Integrity

    The dictionary defines it thus: in·teg·ri·ty [in-teg-ri-tee] noun 1. adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty. It is the quality I admire most in a human being, and when I see a lack of this quality I’m always shocked and horrified. It takes courage to stand up for what you know…