THINK! It's not illegal yet!
 

Hi everybody,

I took a low-paying (for me) Federal job that has been delivering greater rewards than I would have considered possible, since it was just a "get over" endeavor that I never intended to keep.

As you may know, I'd rather tinker with the hardware and software of my computer than almost anything else. So I set out to teach myself Microsoft Publisher, Pagemaker, and Quark Express, three leading publishing programs.

Now, you've got to write in order to use these programs. If you don't, you get the nonsense stuff that comes with them to illustrate how to use the programs.

Anyway, I did some "stream of consciousness" writing about the job and my co-workers, and produced a little newsletter. I printed 2 copies, and gave them to people at work who were also interested in those programs. Their feedback on the layout and design (primitive!) was important to me.

They shared the publication with a few other people, and before I knew what was happening, people were asking for their own copy. I printed a total of 10 copies.

The next week, I gave some thought to the content as I perfected my skill with the programs. I produced enough copies for everybody to have his own.

The content dealt with leadership characteristics, the power of cooperating with each other, a rant on the sneaky snitches who invariably turn up like roaches in any workplace, and a page of thanks to people who had helped me personally, during the preceeding week.

It was a hit. (Wha' ????? - It was just a little exercise, and people who'd never spoken to me were asking to be included in the next distribution. "Next? Hell, I done learned what I wanted to! Ain't gon' be no next!")

The newsletter got the attention of some managers and lawyers, who, for reasons not yet well articulated, thought it should be stopped. I talked with my manager and persuaded him to communicate to "the powers that be" that I understood very well the tenets of the U.S. Constitution, and that sharing the product of my THINKING was not illegal, yet. I further intimated that I was infused with a healthy dose of MLK idealism, and would, in fact, fight all the way to the Supreme Court to preserve the rights they were intent on violating.

The verdict was that I could not distribute it in the workplace - a verdict supported by some specious reasoning that could easily be ripped apart by any lobotomized twelve-year-old.

No matter. I acquiesced.

(Jeez, mediocre people truly don't have a clue!)

I converted the thing to *.pdf format, emailed it to everybody with a computer, and enjoined them to produce at least one copy for a friend on the job who didn't have computer access.

The Newsletter I never intended to write LIVES, and has a circulation well beyond anything that I ever intended!

I've probably shot myself in the foot as far as promotions in the organization are concerned. I mean, "birds of a feather flock together," and "they ain't gon' have nobody flockin' with 'em who's got more sense than they do, now are they?"

The little paper is the first of my writing that I have shared with more than a few intimate friends. (Bulletin Board rantings don't count.) And it's perplexing to me that it is as well received as it is. Jeez! I just write what I think!

Anyway, that reception by absolute strangers, and my discovery that not only am I not as shy as I thought, but that I'm bordering on - gulp! - outgoing! - is truly mind blowing.

Those are the rewards I mentioned earlier. I need to be there to get to know me. It's helping me get rid of the blocks in my own thinking about myself that are hampering my doing what I do best - communicate.

I could be on to something here . . .

Y'all have a good day, now hear?

Marye

I think, therefore I am...
 

sure that Marye is on her way to great things...

> Anyway, I did some "stream of
> consciousness" writing

That's good...

> They shared the publication with a few other
> people,

That's encouraging...

> The next week, I gave some thought to the
> content

That's a beginning...

> It was a hit.

That's exciting...

> I converted the thing to *.pdf format,
> emailed it to everybody with a computer

That's clever...

> The Newsletter I never intended to write
> LIVES, and has a circulation well beyond
> anything that I ever intended!

That's incredible...

> I just write what I think!

That's enlightening...

> Anyway, that reception by absolute
> strangers, and my discovery that not only am
> I not as shy as I thought, but that I'm
> bordering on - gulp! - outgoing! - is truly
> mind blowing.

That's wonderful...

> Those are the rewards I mentioned earlier. I
> need to be there to get to know me. It's
> helping me get rid of the blocks in my own
> thinking about myself that are hampering my
> doing what I do best - communicate.

That's growing...

> I could be on to something here . . .

That's the truth...

Seems to me, Marye, that you have found the key
to open the door to the real you...

Be blessed,

JDB
--
John David Bradshaw - The After50 Online Marketing Guru (TM)
You're NEVER too old to make money online!
http://www.makingmoneyonlineafter50.com


"The Plague of the Procrastinating Perfectionist"

Re: THINK! It's not illegal yet!
 

MaryE,
I like your posts here and at Rodmans board. Think you are a VERY smart lady but I hate to tell you but Freedom of Speech and Freedom of The Press don't apply to the work enviroment.

Harry

> Hi everybody,

> I took a low-paying (for me) Federal job
> that has been delivering greater rewards
> than I would have considered possible, since
> it was just a "get over" endeavor
> that I never intended to keep.

> As you may know, I'd rather tinker with the
> hardware and software of my computer than
> almost anything else. So I set out to teach
> myself Microsoft Publisher, Pagemaker, and
> Quark Express, three leading publishing
> programs.

> Now, you've got to write in order to use
> these programs. If you don't, you get the
> nonsense stuff that comes with them to
> illustrate how to use the programs.

> Anyway, I did some "stream of
> consciousness" writing about the job
> and my co-workers, and produced a little
> newsletter. I printed 2 copies, and gave
> them to people at work who were also
> interested in those programs. Their feedback
> on the layout and design (primitive!) was
> important to me.

> They shared the publication with a few other
> people, and before I knew what was
> happening, people were asking for their own
> copy. I printed a total of 10 copies.

> The next week, I gave some thought to the
> content as I perfected my skill with the
> programs. I produced enough copies for
> everybody to have his own.

> The content dealt with leadership
> characteristics, the power of cooperating
> with each other, a rant on the sneaky
> snitches who invariably turn up like roaches
> in any workplace, and a page of thanks to
> people who had helped me personally, during
> the preceeding week.

> It was a hit. (Wha' ????? - It was just a
> little exercise, and people who'd never
> spoken to me were asking to be included in
> the next distribution. "Next? Hell, I
> done learned what I wanted to! Ain't gon' be
> no next!")

> The newsletter got the attention of some
> managers and lawyers, who, for reasons not
> yet well articulated, thought it should be
> stopped. I talked with my manager and
> persuaded him to communicate to "the
> powers that be" that I understood very
> well the tenets of the U.S. Constitution,
> and that sharing the product of my THINKING
> was not illegal, yet. I further intimated
> that I was infused with a healthy dose of
> MLK idealism, and would, in fact, fight all
> the way to the Supreme Court to preserve the
> rights they were intent on violating.

> The verdict was that I could not distribute
> it in the workplace - a verdict supported by
> some specious reasoning that could easily be
> ripped apart by any lobotomized
> twelve-year-old.