Scams, awards and leaky batteries
“Here, sign this for me, would you?” an acquaintance requested.
“What is it?” I asked.
“It’s an ESA letter with your recommendation that my daughter be able to take her emotional support dog on board a commercial flight for free.”
“I didn’t know she had such an animal,” I replied.
“She doesn’t. I’m just trying to save a 100 bucks when she flies home with her dog from college.”
That statement really caught me by surprise. This woman has a luxury home in Brookside, a palace in Hawaii, another in the Bahamas, and she wants me to put my professional license on the line so she can save 100 bucks?
“But Brandi is not my patient,” I objected. “As far as I know, she doesn’t have any need for a support animal. To sign this would be fraud on my part.”
“Don’t be so uptight about it,” she said. “No one is going to catch you.”
“OK, I’ll do it. But I’m going to charge $200 for my services.”
“What?” the shameless queen bee answered with surprise. “Now why would I pay that?”
“Because you can still have the thrill of scamming the system while I get something out of it too.”
“You’re crazy!” she responded, turned and walked away.
Well, that was one way to get rid of her — wouldn’t you agree?
Awards
Have you ever received an award? I’ve gotten a few in my time.
I’m thankful to those who nominated me, but I’ve always had mixed feelings.
Awards are a paradox: On one hand, you feel really honored that people have chosen you for some kind of recognition. But on the other hand, awards can create jealously and resentment from those who feel they are more deserving.
On one side of the room, your real friends cheer. But on the other side, people can look anywhere from disappointed to envious — even to the point of expressing whispered threats such as, “I’ll knock him off his pedestal soon as I get the chance!”
I have a couple of plaques hanging on my wall. But the truth is, I forget they’re there. I’m not sure where the rest are. I believe one is under my desk. A couple of others would take a major search to locate.
Yet one I really do appreciate is hanging on a wall in our family room. It’s a special recognition for my military service during the Cold War. It took 50 years for the government to finally send it to me.
It’s signed by General James Mattis, who was secretary of defense during the Trump administration.
I guess what I value about this certificate is that it’s not so much about me, but about my work, which hopefully saved lives during unpopular and unwelcomed wars.
Maybe that’s what awards really should be about — our efforts to benefit others.
Throughout history, many people have dedicated their lives in selfless service.
Yet most have performed these feats in darkened shadows and unrecognized silence.
Perhaps that’s why formal accolades just tarnish over time.
What an amazing time we live. Earlier generations couldn’t imagine how most of us exist today.
Modern medicine has made more advancements in the last 60 years than it has in the last 6,000.
We’ve sent people to the moon, and soon they’ll be on Mars.
We’ve harnessed nuclear energy with the ability to create endless benefits for humankind. Or we can launch its awesome power to wipe out the human race.
No one would have dreamed decades ago that our communication abilities would be instantaneous and available throughout the world. Nor would it have been understood that endless information would be available at the touch of our fingertips.
I’m just hoping we can achieve one more amazing thing: The AA battery that doesn’t leak.