What happens when someone steals from a store? I'd like to think they get caught, but these days, I'm not so sure.
Recently, we were in a local mall visiting HMV, Sears, and RW & Co., among many others. In each of the named stores, the merchandise security alarm at the front doors went off and no one paid any attention to it. No one checked, no one even looked over. And in only one case did the 'alarm-setter-off'erer come back in to reassure store owners that she had not in fact stolen anything. And who cared about that? Well, no one actually; everyone simply ignored her.
Begs the question - if they don't care, why should we?
Shoes stores have the right idea - they only have one shoe on display and you have to get the other one by (a) rummaging through their stock in the 'no go for the public' area at the very back of the store, or (b) asking the store assistant to get it for you. Either way, (a) likely to and (b) definitely will attract some attention and guard against an easy escape.
HMV and other retail entertainment stores, however, have a big challenge, given that most of their stock is small, immediately accessible and easily concealable. Indeed, the stores are usually so busy that half the stock could disappear before anyone even noticed - unless they have working and monitored security gates and/or security personnel in place. However, even when we were there, the alarm sounded twice and no one paid the slightest bit of attention.
Of course, it doesn't help when the equipment doesn't seem to work at all. A few weeks back, I purchased - yes, purchased - a trendy blue jacket from Sears. When I got home, I saw the security tag. Why hadn't it gone off when I left the store, I wondered. Took it straight back - alarm didn't go off when we walked back in either - and the sales assistant calmly removed it from the coat without being the tiniest bit concerned that none of their security measures seemed to work.
Sure, most stores probably have a percentage quotient built in to their budgets to account for lost or stolen stock. Perhaps they sell so much that a few stolen items doesn't actually impact their bottom line. But wouldn't it make more sense to use the available equipment properly and deter the criminal deed at the source?
I have no problem with checking bags, showing receipts, and passing through functioning security gates, and I welcome security personnel stationed here and there. All of these measures serve as reminders that (a) stealing is a crime, and (b) some stores will employ everything possible to stop you getting away with it - literally.
However, what would be even better is if those with a penchant for taking what is not theirs opted instead to turn on their own internal security alarm before entering any store and not take the damned stuff in the first place!
Naive that may be, but we all end up paying for theft, in one way or another. And that is something we should all care about!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Win, lose or draw
You prepared and rehearsed, committed 100%, and had your acceptance speech ready. It went better than hoped, didn't miss a beat, and every word rang true. When it was done, you acknowledged the audience, smiled, and waited in anticipation. But then, when the moment came as you had planned, you did not get exactly what you wanted.
Or did you?
Winners do not always claim top prize. Sometimes they claim no prize at all. At least, not one you can put on any mantle or hang on any wall or file away for posterity's sake.
That is not to say that winning is of no value, as those who have hardware will attest to - including me. And that is not to say that not winning doesn't hurt, as those who miss out on the hardware will attest to - including me.
However, over the years of doing and trying and wishing and hoping, I have come to the conclusion that whether you win, lose or draw, there is something more to be gained from the entire experience, something even bigger than the accolades and commiserations, the futherance and the frustration, the camaraderie and the rivalry. Something inside that no one else can measure but us.
And for me, that is knowing. Knowing it was my personal best, but could have been even better. Knowing what the next step is, and where else I have to go. Knowing that perfection is not what matters, but always aiming in that direction is. Knowing that I am cookie dough and I am not done yet.
You see, I believe that if you know all that - and know that it all applies equally whether you win, lose or draw - that is how you hold on to your passion, stay true to your goals, maintain your power, and find exactly what you need to keep you moving along whatever course you have set for yourself.
Win, lose or draw - do you know where it will take you?
Or did you?
Winners do not always claim top prize. Sometimes they claim no prize at all. At least, not one you can put on any mantle or hang on any wall or file away for posterity's sake.
That is not to say that winning is of no value, as those who have hardware will attest to - including me. And that is not to say that not winning doesn't hurt, as those who miss out on the hardware will attest to - including me.
However, over the years of doing and trying and wishing and hoping, I have come to the conclusion that whether you win, lose or draw, there is something more to be gained from the entire experience, something even bigger than the accolades and commiserations, the futherance and the frustration, the camaraderie and the rivalry. Something inside that no one else can measure but us.
And for me, that is knowing. Knowing it was my personal best, but could have been even better. Knowing what the next step is, and where else I have to go. Knowing that perfection is not what matters, but always aiming in that direction is. Knowing that I am cookie dough and I am not done yet.
You see, I believe that if you know all that - and know that it all applies equally whether you win, lose or draw - that is how you hold on to your passion, stay true to your goals, maintain your power, and find exactly what you need to keep you moving along whatever course you have set for yourself.
Win, lose or draw - do you know where it will take you?
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Tempted, but ....
The car was filthy, and I was tempted to scrawl something appropriate, like "Please wash me!" But then I thought, "Hmmm, perhaps the owner is hoping to win 'car most needing a wash' at the next Bombers' game.
The teenager was standing doing nothing while the older woman struggled with her bags. I was tempted to intervene, but thought, "Hmmm, maybe he doesn't see her, or has a sore back, or is struggling with something on his mind and is deep in thought."
The driver was weaving and dodging with great speed and no signals. I so wanted to write down her plate number and report her, but then I thought, "Hmmm, perhaps she got an urgent call from her son's school, or fired from her job, or learned her dad had died."
So tempting to right all perceived wrongs and let others know they have been seen and noted. So tempting to step in. So tempting to stand perfect.
In the past, I've regularly tried to be a good citizen and help others do the right thing, but I learned that you can't always fix everyone and you won't always do what is the right thing, in your eyes or anyone else's.
Once when I was coming home from university in Australia, I was travelling down a dark, dank side street when I saw a man lying on the sidewalk. It was very late, and I was young and nervous, so I made the decision to not get out and help, and instead head straight to the nearest police station and report what I had seen. The officers told me I had done the right thing because there had been a series of recent attacks in the area resulting from "staged" muggings. However, when I got home, my brother's friend, who was tall and strong, told me that I had missed the perfect opportunity to help a fellow citizen first hand.
Over the years, I've teetered between stepping up and staying back, saying something and remaining silent, fixing and letting go. I don't get it right all the time, but I try, and that is certainly better than not even.
Yes, it's tempting. The challenge is we don't always know the full story. But I think that if we weigh up our options and the consequences before taking any action or intervening in any way, we will make the right decision in the best interests of everyone.
The teenager was standing doing nothing while the older woman struggled with her bags. I was tempted to intervene, but thought, "Hmmm, maybe he doesn't see her, or has a sore back, or is struggling with something on his mind and is deep in thought."
The driver was weaving and dodging with great speed and no signals. I so wanted to write down her plate number and report her, but then I thought, "Hmmm, perhaps she got an urgent call from her son's school, or fired from her job, or learned her dad had died."
So tempting to right all perceived wrongs and let others know they have been seen and noted. So tempting to step in. So tempting to stand perfect.
In the past, I've regularly tried to be a good citizen and help others do the right thing, but I learned that you can't always fix everyone and you won't always do what is the right thing, in your eyes or anyone else's.
Once when I was coming home from university in Australia, I was travelling down a dark, dank side street when I saw a man lying on the sidewalk. It was very late, and I was young and nervous, so I made the decision to not get out and help, and instead head straight to the nearest police station and report what I had seen. The officers told me I had done the right thing because there had been a series of recent attacks in the area resulting from "staged" muggings. However, when I got home, my brother's friend, who was tall and strong, told me that I had missed the perfect opportunity to help a fellow citizen first hand.
Over the years, I've teetered between stepping up and staying back, saying something and remaining silent, fixing and letting go. I don't get it right all the time, but I try, and that is certainly better than not even.
Yes, it's tempting. The challenge is we don't always know the full story. But I think that if we weigh up our options and the consequences before taking any action or intervening in any way, we will make the right decision in the best interests of everyone.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Turn off the noise!
The evidence is everywhere. People of all ages plugged into IPods and texting on phones — even while walking with and talking to other people. Other pocket gadgets invading all manner of privacy. Books, magazines and IPads passing time on planes, trains and automobiles. Sensational headlines and talk-show natter fueling our intellect and directing our moods and perceptions. Small-screen viewing manipulating our free time. Social media substituting for face-to-face communications, and blogs serving as outlets for opinions and gripes. Advertising with its messages of what we need, how we should act, what we should do, where we are going wrong, and how to fix everything to perfection.
So many vehicles. So much noise.
Yeah, I know. Nothing personal. Just a sign of the times. So easy to turn on the noise, to fill our heads with other people’s stuff, to cut ourselves off from the world outside and the people who love us, to make the mistake that noise is more important than our own thinking, our own beliefs, our own personalities, our own ideas and ambitions.
I should know. My “noise of choice” is chatter. Other people’s chatter, whether delivered by television characters, radio personalities and performers; driven by conversations across the ether, printed opinions and random speculations; facebooked via friends and “friends”; and professed in anticipation of a response (i.e., me writing in this blog that apparently no one ever reads).
I happily embrace my “noise of choice” because, for the most part, it serves as a tool for my many projects. However, I know that if I’m not careful, it can also take up way too much time and prove to be a huge mental and emotional distraction.
When noise overwhelms us, it blocks us out of the equation. And I sometimes wonder if that block, that disconnect, plays a role in the state of things today ... like frustrated, anxious, angry and lashing-out behaviour, reliance on or certainly a preference for foul language to convey emotions, petty fights over the smallest and silliest things, non-communicative and anti-social thinking, a fractured view of who we are and what our value is, and an increased susceptibility to being bullied and doing the bullying.
Just thinking out loud here, but it was a strong enough consideration that I decided to turn off the noise for a while, to take a break from the onslaught of information, to opt for silence, and to clear the way for my own logic, awareness, sense of self, and understanding of my own potential to rise to the fore, unimpeded by short-term stuff that, once it’s run it’s course, no longer seems to matter in the overall scheme of things.
What I realised was that (a) it never did matter in the overall scheme of things, and (b) I really liked what the lack of noise begot.
No, not quite ready to completely shush all my noise, but I am wondering how you might feel and what you might achieve if you shushed yours for a while.
So many vehicles. So much noise.
Yeah, I know. Nothing personal. Just a sign of the times. So easy to turn on the noise, to fill our heads with other people’s stuff, to cut ourselves off from the world outside and the people who love us, to make the mistake that noise is more important than our own thinking, our own beliefs, our own personalities, our own ideas and ambitions.
I should know. My “noise of choice” is chatter. Other people’s chatter, whether delivered by television characters, radio personalities and performers; driven by conversations across the ether, printed opinions and random speculations; facebooked via friends and “friends”; and professed in anticipation of a response (i.e., me writing in this blog that apparently no one ever reads).
I happily embrace my “noise of choice” because, for the most part, it serves as a tool for my many projects. However, I know that if I’m not careful, it can also take up way too much time and prove to be a huge mental and emotional distraction.
When noise overwhelms us, it blocks us out of the equation. And I sometimes wonder if that block, that disconnect, plays a role in the state of things today ... like frustrated, anxious, angry and lashing-out behaviour, reliance on or certainly a preference for foul language to convey emotions, petty fights over the smallest and silliest things, non-communicative and anti-social thinking, a fractured view of who we are and what our value is, and an increased susceptibility to being bullied and doing the bullying.
Just thinking out loud here, but it was a strong enough consideration that I decided to turn off the noise for a while, to take a break from the onslaught of information, to opt for silence, and to clear the way for my own logic, awareness, sense of self, and understanding of my own potential to rise to the fore, unimpeded by short-term stuff that, once it’s run it’s course, no longer seems to matter in the overall scheme of things.
What I realised was that (a) it never did matter in the overall scheme of things, and (b) I really liked what the lack of noise begot.
No, not quite ready to completely shush all my noise, but I am wondering how you might feel and what you might achieve if you shushed yours for a while.