Another Christmas, Another Surrender

This blog is now a year old. I too am another year older and another year into my job as a Parking Control Officer (eight years in February). And I'm beginning to think that "control" should not be in our job title. How can you control a flood? How can you control a hurricane? How can control a mindless tide? I'm talking about the mindless tide of humanity.

People. People who don't read signs, who aren't able to figure out that you just can't block someone's driveway or a fire hydrant, who STILL don't know that red means NO. People who will do only what is most expedient for themselves and all others be damned.

You know, I consider myself a pretty smart guy. And to be quite honest, this job is really not much of a challenge. It's easy to write parking tickets. The only challenges come in the form of me trying to control myself, my temper, my tongue, my ulcer, my vehicle (when I see incredibly stupid driving in front of me).

Hm, so I guess that's it. That's the real control aspect of all this: me controlling myself. The only thing I really have any control over anyway.

So, as my step-daughter decorates the Christmas tree, my wife cooks up a yummy meal and Vince Guaraldi plays Charlie Brown music on the stereo, I'll just relinquish any attempts at control for another holiday season and simply appreciate what I have.

Happy holidays everybody.

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