March 29, 2007
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The Daily News
1 Ever try to do something on a computer but you are supposed to be doing something else?
2 Part of being a person who is in tune to synchronicity is the sense of humor that goes along with it. I think they call it Murphy's Law. Let's examine how it all works, since we just recently celebrated St. Patty's Day. It goes something like this:
3 Last night I was caught at the school working on bringing the new students from the eighth grade in. My job wasn't a large one, but I had been stuck down there all day the day before, until almost 11 p.m. That was on my birthday, but of course I didn't tell anyone, because I just don't.
4 In fact, a student asked me last night if it WAS my birthday the day before, and I said that it was. When I told her that it didn't really matter, she didn't believe it. My answer was this: I'm nobody important, and everybody is somebody's birthday.
5 I've had to work on my birthday so many times, or had to do something on it that I just stopped worrying about it, and in fact would only remember every hour or so. I mean it's ALWAYS there on your birthday, but I realized over the years that something would always come by that just needed to be done, so I'd do it and just move on with life, another day older and deeper in debt.
6 Anyway, last night I was supposed to watch over the student runners and also to run the copy machine, a reasonably easy gig. But the stuff got backed up, and I definitely needed to remain aloof enough so that I could move to another room if we got backed up.
7 During the down times, however, I had moments that were slow, so I thought I could do the DN. I just KNEW, however, that right after around two hours of jackhammering work, the second I relaxed a bit someone in charge would come in, look at the computer screen, and think, "Look at that guy goofing off! G-r-r-r-r-r...." even though the night before I stayed there until all hours on my birthday.
8 I finally decided to give it a shot. I got all hooked up and managed to get onto the website. The exact SECOND that it booted up a boss came walking in.
9 Isn't that just the way it is? Okay so that's a perfectly normal boring thing that happens to everyone. This isn't really about that; it's about the occasional humor of synchronicity. It's like when that teacher screamed about me being the "guy with the keys" and figured I was just late to that basketball practice, when I did nothing BUT gear myself to getting to the gym the other day. You might recall that he needed me there sooner because he had to pee, and dashed out. I KILLED myself to get there, but was just waylaid by people with demands on the way.
10 Anyway it reminded me of a time around eight or nine years ago when Ponticelli came up to me on his awards night and asked if he could use the television in my classroom for his banquet at Original Joe's.
11 "Dude. That television belongs to Rocha, and I just can't lend it out."
12 Now normally Ponch would respect that, but not that night. He needed it like yesterday, and just said, "Look, we'll just grab it, put it in your trunk, and zip it there. We'll be back at around 11 and we'll put it right back. Rocha will never know!"
13 "I don't know man...I just don't feel right taking someone else's property like that..."
14 The next thing I knew I was pulling this huge television off the cart, thinking the entire time, "It's around five in the afternoon. Everyone has either gone home, or they're inside a building. The only thing outside right now are the birds, and maybe a few kids hanging out at the gym. Just move fast. Out of 150 staff members, there's only one you don't want to see If you move quickly enough, the odds of his seeing you are ridiculously low. It's wrong, but what he doesn't know won't hurt him, and everyone will be happy. Just DON'T be seen by that one guy..."
15 I had students check to see if anyone was outside, and had pulled the good ol' Trio right up to my room, which was right next to the present-day Activities Office at YB. At the time it just belonged to another teacher, Ton That. I figured I would just grab the TV, go right out the door, put the thing in the trunk, and then bungee the trunk down. The TV was WAY bigger than the trunk, but the mighty TRIO could do wonders. This was just one of 'em.
The classic Trio. This guy once carried two twelve-foot diameter
tabletops on the roof, with no rope.16 I had just checked, and the coast was MIGHTILY clear. I even had a student open the door AND the trunk, which would not even be able to close because the TV was so huge. The bungee was just window dressing. We'd drive slowly down Keyes like the Clampett family.
17 All that in place, I gave the CIA command to go. The kid opened the door, popped the trunk, and I swiftly made my move right out the door and to the trunk. The TV was ridiculously ponderous and heavy, but I managed to get it on the lip of the trunk and balanced it like a huge visionary seesaw.
18 I was balancing it swiftly and trying to get the bungee on it at a super speed. It rocked and gave me trouble, but I got it going, stretched the bungee, and almost had it wedged in when I heard a voice cry out thunderously:
19 "HEY! WHERE ARE YOU GOING WITH MY TEEVEEEEEEE????!!!!"
20 Guess who?
21 I tried to explain that it wasn't my fault, that Ponticelli was in a huge hurry and that I was just trying to help a brother out.
22 I didn't even have time to argue because Kenny needed it and I try never to let anyone down if I could help it, so I just talked swiftly and got in the Trio, thumped it, and flew out of there WITH Rocha's television wedged in the back. The bungee was just a decoration, and I saw Rocha screaming at me in the rear view, but I got the job done.
23 We all laughed, and even Rocha was laughing, but the timing was a classic example of how synchronicity sometimes creates a life filled with those sorts of episodes.
24 The Irish call it Murphy's Law, but I think EVERYONE calls it Murphy's Law.
25 The classic joke about Murphy's Law, which is IF ANYTHING CAN GO WRONG, IT WILL is that Murphy was an optimist.
26 To this minute Rocha throws that one in my face every time I tell him I'm an honest guy.
27 I also am hard-working, but each time I finally stop to take a breather at work, someone comes in. I think I was searching for a good picture of Goofy last night when I was caught doing this.
28 To this moment I don't know if it was ever seen, but I swear to you the very SECOND I began relaxing and writing this DN someone came in. I just heard the voice and clicked the minimize box. It defaulted to the Giants' website.
29 That must have given old Murphy a belly laugh.
30 Thanks guy, for always keeping it real for us.
31 Peace.
~H~
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