FIND, SIGN AND MINE

I love problem solvers as opposed to problem pointers. You know the ones I’m talking about. The people who love to tell you about problems, but never have a clue on how to improve the situation.

And most of the time they only end up telling you about a problem you already know about. So not only do they offer no help with the problem, but bore you to death telling you facts you knew before they decided to enlighten you about the obvious.

It is sort of like the revel to some degree in coming to me as Mayor with this attitude, “Hey I found out about a problem, here’s the signs of it being a problem, now you get to handle it because I haven’t got a clue on how to make it better.” Yeah those kinds of helpers I really don’t need.

The others that are almost the bad are the ones who actually try to help, but there ideas are totally worthless. With them it is “Hey, I found out about a problem, here’s the signs of it being a problem, now this is how YOU can handle it.” Only their idea of how I can handle it is most of the time not thought through and so it is totally worthless. But since they felt so good that they came up with a solution they don’t honestly worry about if it will work. They just end up going away from the meeting feeling superior because “their” part of the solution process is done and they can brag about it without worrying if it really changed anything.

Like I said the joy in all of this are the genuine problem solvers. They just are in short supply in my part of the world. It just is one of those truly rare human commodities that I genuinely cherish when I encounter such actual sages of solutions.

I just wish I didn’t have more problem pointers than problem solvers working for the city. With voters it is one thing. After all they don’t work for the city and I can appreciate how they would be inclined to only want to tell me about a problem, but not want to get involved with the solution.

Unfortunately the main person who does want to get involved with wanting to solve problems is the Reverend Analbe. His help I can honestly live without. Not that he doesn’t mean well I suppose. It is with him every solution ultimately involves three things.

First is repentance by somebody. He doesn’t even to seem to care who, just as long as somebody confesses his sin caused the problem. Secondly his solution always gets around to the city being expected to reward his church with a generous donation as gratitude for his help whether he actually helped or not. And finally his solution is one he never will tell me unless I meet him for lunch as my treat.

But dummy me, sometimes in a moment of weakness, desperation or panic I’ll actually fall for his offer. Later of course, broker from having picked up the tab for lunch, I vow to never let him do that again. Until the next time of course, when things always end up going the same way.

Which is really not much different than dealing with most of the people in my city government to some degree, except they normally don’t bring God into it. But they sure know how to point fingers a lot. And I guess that is one of the joys of being me nobody is likely to envy are they? You don’t need to answer that one, I think I know the answer.