This year is more like uncivil disobedience

Bill Packard: Adulting

Sun, 11/20/2016 - 9:45am

I usually don’t write just before elections because everyone is more interested in letters to the editor than my drivel and it’s hard to get space to get noticed. This election was something, wasn’t it? About 80 or 90 candidates on either side, new ones popping up and old ones dropping out every day. Then it came down to two, but one party thought somebody else should have won. Just when we settled in with the two, a third one appeared and the confusion continued.

Debate after debate that I suppose millions watched. I didn’t watch a one. Kept thinking I would watch the next one, but people on both sides were so angry after each one that I just decided to let it go. Finally, the big day came and when the election results were announced one party thought someone else should have won, just like the primary. Very confusing overall.

Most of us are pretty much moving forward, feeling a little embarrassed about some of the things we said.

Others are still angry and likely will remain angry for at least four more years, if not forever.

Never understood why so many people can’t let go and move on. Oh well. It’s hard for me to understand all the demonstrations, too. Back in the day there were some great demonstrations that created long needed change. Those demonstrations had a purpose and goal and they focused on that. The catch phrase for years was civil disobedience.

This year is more like uncivil disobedience. Seems like whether its police shootings or who was elected president of the United States, the accepted practice if one is unhappy is to trash and burn down your neighborhood. Of course, I’m from the country, but I never can figure how putting your neighborhood stores out of business is a good idea.

As people try to analyze the results of this election and explain how this horrendous thing could have happened, a popular theory is the lack of education on the voters who supported the successful candidate. I mean, there must be some sort of explanation as to how this could have happened.

I’ve seen this theory played out with local issues time and time again. A proposal is presented to the voters and it fails. The explanation is that the voters didn’t understand the value of what was being proposed. Let’s bring it up again. And again. We’ll take this to the voters as many times as it takes until they understand it and vote for it.

Here’s what I don’t like about the education explanation: They are hinting at the fact that people with a college degree are superior to those that don’t have a degree. It’s seems fair at this point to mention that thousands, if not millions of recent college graduates have nothing to show for their education other than a huge debt.

In many cases it’s tough, if not impossible to get a job that pays enough to pay the school debt and live a decent life. Don’t get all huffy. I’m not against higher education; I’m just saying if it doesn’t make sense on the calculator, it doesn’t make sense.

So let’s create a riff between the college educated and non-college educated. That should keep things going. Here’s the thing. Everyone is important. Everyone. If you don’t think that’s true, next time your toilet plugs and overflows call a professor of economics instead of a plumber. Let’s just stop allowing the talking heads to keep trying to pit against each other.

Finally, some good news! There is a new trend that may change things. Students can now take classes at some colleges, and it’s taking off all over the country, in Adulting.

Imagine that. Right here in Portland, you can sign up for only $14.97 a month for all sorts of important information on being an adult. As I grow older, there are a lot of things that I understand that didn’t click when I was younger and at the very same time, there are a lot of things I just don’t get. This is one of them. Adulting.

Can you believe that? Taking classes to learn to be an adult. Colleges are offering classes. At least the ROI on these should be better than some others. I’m always on the lookout for opportunities and this is a big one. I may not be the first, but I think my school is going to be the best. No classes start until the check clears. I won’t be taking cash because the students are not comfortable with that currency and change and counting are troublesome.

I’m not going to come to you, you’ll have to come to me. The classes will be long. They will be boring. There will be no PowerPoint. It’s unlikely that you will pass the tests because if you pass one, the next one will be harder. The rules will change constantly. The person sitting next to you will get credit for your work. You will have to memorize the phone number of your plumber, electrician, a trusted mechanic for your car and the garbage man. If I find those numbers in the contacts on your phone, you’re out of the class. No refunds!

I have a faculty of experienced Adulters who know what they’re talking about and have demonstrated exceptional Adulting skills. I consider this my gift to society. Perhaps. Just perhaps, if more people acted like adults the world would be a better place for all of us. Call now to reserve your spot before they’re all gone.

Bill Packard lives in Union and is the founder of BPackard.com.  He is a speaker, author, small business coach and consultant. 

 



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