The story of Joe and Sam, Job Fair
While I'm waiting for the next couple of hours before I go to a local job fair (held at the same place the last job fair I went to was located [I think] which was sometime in 2003 after having been rejected by Geico) I figured it would be a good time to write a journal entry. I do really need to write out my thoughts - but alas, I'll be using as much hinting and innuendo so that (hopefully) none of you will know who or what the hell I'm talking about. Only a few people will know the specifics and I've already spoken much of my mind to them last night; though they probably don't read this site, anyway. I feel a need to document the issue just because sometimes, the balls someone has in their efforts to try to shake a system up so it'll be more of what they want can just leave you feeling "OMGZ! THIS IS ALMOST ENTERTAININGZORS!" So, here goes:
As much as I have accidently caused drama in the past, it really is something I hate dealing with - being the center of it, being apart of it, or just observing it. Though, above all of those, I really dislike people who not only attempt to cause drama on purpose but who also use others as pawns to do all the "necessary" work for them so they can get their way. That sort of behavior is manipulative and shady and downright unacceptable to me. And as much as it surprises me, I've recently come across someone who does just that (who I will refer to as Joe for the sake of clarity).
Joe has a habit of speaking to people in private, particularly people whom Joe feels hold an adequate amount of authority or weight, and those who would, above all, listen to what he had to say. In these private conversations, Joe would state his opinions and complaints in a way that seemed as though Joe was looking for not only someone else to fix these issues he had, but to fix them in the exact way that Joe wanted. In the course of doing this, Joe had to speak to one person after another for great lengths of time, trying to find someone who finally saw "eye to eye" with him - until, one day, Joe found that person (who I will call Sam). Probably feeling that Sam now gave him some sort leverage, Joe decided to hint and put pressure on Sam that Joe will do something drastic if the problems he had explained before were not fixed. So, Sam did what he felt he should - he went and talked to all the people Joe had spoken to before with the hopes that he could keep Joe from doing anything hasty if he could get resolutions for Joe's problems.
Sam received the same answers and responses that Joe had received before, and Sam learned a little bit more of what Joe had been doing over the past few months. Unlike Joe, Sam did find a middle ground of agreeance with those he spoke to - mainly because he was willing to listen and compromise while Joe had not been. Joe will probably still do "that drastic thing", but quite honestly, this reporter will be damn happy when he does. Shady behavior and using people as pawns is *not* how anyone should conduct themselves, no matter how strongly they feel about something. If Joe really had such a big bad problem with the way things are going, he should of done more than try to form secret alliances with people he felt would do all of the work for him. That's lazy and counterproductive to teamwork in general.
Having spoken to Joe for a total of 6 hours of various topics, I've noticed a theme with most of his complaints - while they are usually abstract (ex: X person doesn't help out Y people, or Z system is better than A system, or C object should be distributed F way) I've found almost exact mirrors to how they apply to his personal situation. He wanted X person to help Y people because, at the time of the complaint, he conveniently fell into Y category. He wants Z system because A system does not reward him for showing up late or leaving early as Z system might. He wants to see objects like C divided in F way to ensure when a C object comes along that he wants he'll get a chance at it because F way would allow that. I've actually brought this connection up to him before, and he vehemently denied it... but to me, the timing of his "actions" speak louder than any of the fluff words he's said then or now to cover it up.
But... anyway.
That was probably all more specific than I meant it to, but oh well. I don't like people sneaking around and trying to manipulate my friends. If he wants something done, he should *do it his damn self* instead of recruiting others for the labor and threatening to do "something bad" in order to motivate others to get the changes the wants. How can he really be that passionate about his ideas and opinions when he doesn't have the courage to put himself out there, to everyone, for the sake of them? How does he have the balls to tell the leadership how they should be functioning when he apparently holds no true leadership skills himself? Does he really think he's clever and pulled one over on all of us? The reasoning he has just goes over my head I guess. I'm not much of a leader myself, and I'm wrong alot, but I'll still go out on a limb and say what's on my mind, no matter who is listening or the consequences I'll get for saying it. It's not that hard, and even if you fail at whatever the goal was for speaking up in the first place, at least you were *honest* and you *tried.* At least you'd have that.
So... yes. That about sums up the majority of what I can be abstract about. I have alot more specific complaints I could give, but this is not really the place for them. Hopefully this is the last time I'll have the need to talk about any of this to anyone.
Back to the topic of the job fair... I'm not at all nervous about going like I was years ago. I am somewhat worried about whether I'll find the damn place or not, since I refuse to ask my father for any help (I'm doing my best to keep him uninvolved in every aspect of My Job hunting - all he does is worry the fuck out of me by constantly talking about all the things I [said that I] don't want to talk about. He also has the lifelong habit of flat lining through my accomplishments and then bitching about and rubbing my face in my failures for years at a time. Involving him would be as sensible as repeatedly bashing my head against a wall - so, no thank you, my mere-sperm-doner-to-me-of-an-assole-father. Your services are not needed here) I'm going to have to depend on Yahoo! driving directions to get me there in one piece.