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One at a time we CAN make a small difference. I suppose that’s why most of us in my “blog circle” write, or are politically involved…just hoping that at SOME POINT…at some point enough of us will take that stand that it WILL make a difference. And, if only to spark a thought one tiny brain wave here and there keeps us doing it. I met one of those people today and he didn’t even know he was one I think. But I had a moment to congratulate him and in his surprise of my reaction to his story I saw the glint in his eye that if we ALL do it EACH DAY, and we ALL make the effort and SACRIFICE to PRACTICE WHAT WE PREACH in our conservative hearts, ALL OF US – ALL THE TIME would truly change the world, and sadly that’s what it’s going to take for “True Change” and “Yes We Can”…but if we ALL did it ALL THE TIME, it would happen much sooner than we all think I believe.

A gentleman was in my shop today getting his truck fixed. He was a “waiter” (didn’t drop it off and pick up later), so we had time to make small talk. Long story short, somehow children and careers came into conversation. I have a son in college and one 25 that works for us and in our company. We were laughing that my son in college will be a sophomore next semester and that while I’m most proud of him; his job that allows him money along with school is possibly spoiling him. He makes $18.45 per hour at age 19 working in a Wal-Mart distribution center. He works 12 hour shifts 3 days per week allowing him the week days to attend school and the weekends to work.

The gentleman also commented that his boys (3) all finished college and when first graduated didn’t make great wages, but with time they are all now making money hand over fist. I don’t have a degree, and neither does he. I own my own business finally at 45, and he’s a heavy duty equipment specialist that pays him well with a construction company (or was). He commented though that he has made the same wage (at the top of his career) that he made in some other areas of USA almost 20 years ago. As a specially skilled and top notch construction foreman, he’s lost the opportunity to get raises and move beyond because it’s easier for the big companies to hire illegal’s than it is for them to promote our citizens. It’s NOT a prejudice statement, for we ALL KNOW that no Asian, Muslim, Black, or Beige folks are knocking down the construction industry doors for work. It’s the Mexicans…they work cheap…and they work illegally. Even the legal ones (we “all know” they DON’T hire “undocumented workers”) can’t speak English, they most importantly can’t UNDERSTAND English, and they are a detriment to dangerous work. At least most of the other foreign people coming here speak the language (and several more sometimes).

This yesterday’s important highly skilled foreman with 30 years of experience under his belt suddenly found himself FIRED for one idea and standing on his principles. The Boss came to him and asked him to train a “new guy” (Hispanic Non-Understander) to run this dangerous piece of heavy dirt removing equipment…the kind that have legs and crawl up and down scary terrain. He said NO. He said that he wouldn’t train him; that he WOULD NOT train someone like that to either replace him or someone like him with true skills and true understanding of the job. He went back to his work and the boss went on to “talk” to “new guy”. By the way…if you’ve never been around these types, they nod and smile and say OK when you tell them things while the whole time they never understood a word you’ve said…

The gentleman told me that an hour or so passed and the new guy was turned loose on a piece of equipment. He tumbled it down a cliff, managed to jump away and save himself, but totaled a back hoe. The Boss came to my gentleman and was all up in his face that “HE” cost him THOUSANDS of dollars. His response, “I guess they’re not so cheap huh?” He was fired immediately.

I told him…GOOD FOR YOU. It totally sucks that he’s out of work, but having been that good for that many years I can tell he’ll be rehired in no time. Even in a down economy good people are hard to find and he’ll be OK…plus…he’s managed fine, he has a “nest egg” to last a bit. But…the look on his face when the first and immediate words from my mouth were GOOD FOR YOU!...I saw that instant realization that others of us “get it”, but yet others of us didn’t just lose our jobs for it. With that one look I learned a lot.

It’s one thing to believe how we do and preach what we preach; but I wondered…way back when I was a struggling single Mom with the same beliefs…would I have sacrificed my job and my livelihood for my beliefs? I don’t know. I did it once and it cost me dearly, to the point of taking YEARS to recover for standing on principle. I learned then that sometimes you have to swallow hard and just accept some things you can’t change. Today, I’m in a position that I can follow my heart and not swallow pills of life that are bad, all are not in that position.

Today as the owner and boss I can say what I want knowing that whatever I reap from what I sow is mine to bear and I accept those consequences before I make the choice to stand. He wasn't in that position yet he made that stand...not unlike our soldiers or Border Patrol agents. I thanked him for his service and he looked at me for a moment like I was high, but in that same instance he "got" what he had just done. He took a stand and made a difference.

I admired him SO MUCH. He did it; he truly lived up to the principle of USA. I just hope we all can and we all WILL continue to do so. It’s hard to put your family’s food from the table to such a test. Good for him and may we all live what we preach…it’s the only way to really make a difference.

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