Well, my friends, today’s Monday and for once I’m putting my thoughts to paper well ahead of schedule. As I’m sitting here, I find myself enjoying the raindrops, as they rhytmically tap the skylight window above me. In a way, I kind of enjoy bad weather. I’m not one of those old farts, who wants to take it out on the weatherman.
Our local weatherman is about to retire, being 65 years old and all. I’d have never known, if it weren’t for an online article. Scrolling down into the comments, I found myself reading some nutjob’s opinion: “Too bad, but no one is irreplaceable!” Take it easy, for Pete’s sake. You make it sound personal, as if he took your promotion and your wife.
It’s a silly comment to make. I mean, the man’s about to retire, let’s give him a break. I wouldn’t have remembered this type of reply, but when our local news anchor retired some time ago, I read a similar comment, “Unfortunate, but everyone is replaceable.”
The similarity struck a chord with me. In a way, they aren’t entirely wrong. Fact is, no matter how high you climb the education ladder, there’s always someone out there who could do your job as well as you do – if not better. If you were to drop dead tomorrow, believe me, the world would go on spinning. Someone will step in to fill the void you left behind. In fact, things are set up that way. Jobs are systematised, so people find they’re nothing more than easily replaced cogs in a machine. One doesn’t work, just put in another one. That’s how management likes it best, and good on them.
However, that’s not the whole story, so don’t throw in the towel just yet. Everyone is replaceable… given enough time. So, if they can snap their fingers and find a replacement, you’re in a bad spot. But you’re in a great position if they have to go through some epic odyssey to find someone who comes close.
I remember this one maths teacher, who also took care of our school’s digital platform. And let me tell you, practically nobody knew how to run that platform besides her. One day, she winds up ill for a few weeks. Guess what happened? Everything turned to chaos. The only guy who could be of any help, the regional IT guy, said something to the effect of, “Sure, I’ll drop by in a week or two.”
And how about Johnny Carson? He used to be the master of late-night tv. Read his biography and you’ll see, back then, there was only one Carson. He put him in the position where he could negotiate extra zeroes into his contract. And that’s where you want to find yourself. Be like Carson, not just another Fallon. One’s got the world at his feet, the other’s constantly walking a tightrope.
I know, in the end, we’re mere grains of sand, in the vast desert of existence. Our actions might not matter much on the cosmic scale. Still, I reject the notion that his implies we just ought to give up, and that we ought to accept whatever may happen to us. If we’re indeed just grains of sand, let’s at least move to the top, so that we get to enjoy the sunlight and some fresh air. Food for thought.
Kind regards
Vincent J. Dancet