Saturday, February 21, 2004

There Was That Old Lady ...

Few years ago at Gallaudet, I was watching a documentary on NBC's Dateline focusing on a woman who runs the Parliament in London. The attention on this woman was bit controversial back then because she instituted a new radical policy not to require the wigs to run the Parliament. Her response was, "I am a woman, must I wear this ridiculous white curly wigs that was passed for many generations?!"

She appeared to be in her 50s or 60s, not thin or fat, but just ordinary British mother. She also instituted a new rule to run the Parliament which both Houses of Commons and Lords approved overwhelmingly. Everyone can insult everyone as long as it is corny and funny. But not degrading. You can crack a joke but not to make fun of one's personality or character. The result is that the meetings at the Parliament becomes lively and emotional outbursts. This led to Tony Blair's domination in the Parliament, though. But I digress.

This lady has a way of using words that is snappy. At one point, she chortled few comments at one member of the Parliament, scolding him for his antics during the meeting then she stood up and said, "Now, the meeting is adjourned. Now go home and say something nice to your friends and family tonight!" The members stood and grinned.

That is what we needed in our judicial, legislative and executive branches. Be serious and at the same time, be human.

I try to do that with my job with my consumers. When my consumer complained to me that he will have a surgery because "they want to check my insides up." I smiled and said, "Yeah, they want to pull it out and keep it for themselves, you cool with it?" That consumer smiled hard and said, "NO NO NO NO! It is mine! It is mine!"

I grinned, "Why not?" He looked at me like I was crazy. Of course I am. Why do you think I work with them? Even live in this city?

Cheers,

R-

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