2005-11-13 - 9:45 a.m.
Someone who knew me at the time (J., actually) pointed out a while back that my youthful error in the shell game scam was that I was seeing it as a game, and hence winnable through superior perception or skill, and not as a no-win con. I think distinguishing what is winnable from what is just banging your head against a wall no matter how hard you try, may be at the heart of the practical, problem-solving skill I referred to.
When I worked in real estate development, I encountered many short-sighted property owners who had a very limited view of potentials. �Eh, you can�t build that there. The site�s all wrong.� Of course it was certainly possible that you couldn�t build that there profitably, but such a level of consideration hadn�t seemed to cross their mind.
Understanding what is physically possible, what isn�t cost-effective, how you might make something different cost-effective, and what is simply unwinnable are all vital tasks to being a truly good developer. Making this determination is also centrally important to living a sustainable life. Otherwise, you�ll spend a lot of time and energy banging your head against a wall trying to do the impossible.
My life with a disability raises these issues all the time. I�m here and I need to go there. First of all, do I really even need to go there? Can I email or call? If not, how can I get there, since I probably can�t walk it? Get a ride from someone? Call a cab? Use a scooter? There�s a way.
But run a marathon or even walk a few blocks? No, sorry. I just can�t do it. I can�t boogie down any more, but I�ve gotten pretty good at making the junior high school, hang-on-to-your-partner slow shuffle look almost cool. Can I get over that pile of snow? Probably not. But can I go around it or ask someone to kick some aside or use a nearby wall to balance myself through? Is this a winnable situation?
Using a wheelchair makes getting around a lot easier. But understanding that it can be a better way took a lot of outside-the-box thinking. Sitting down in one, knowing people will stare even if they don�t mean to, if I might pat myself on the back for a minute � that�s strength.
I used to hurt myself more, trying to do things that were no longer in my capabilities. I think part of this was a macho thing. �Can�t keep me down! Gonna walk 4 blocks to the library!� Then I�d do a face plant. Who the hell was I trying to impress? I was only conning myself.
Real macho is facing the truth and confronting a situation effectively, not just showing what exploits you can engage in. How much can you lift? Well, what needs to be lifted? Ain�t no free lunch means more than just that you have to work hard and effectively to win. It means that some things are just cons that can�t be won.
Real toughness is not necessarily benching 400 or taking out someone with one blow or standing up under fire. It�s not even walking a block when every nerve balks at moving a single muscle. Achieving more than you thought you were capable of is admirable of course, but it should serve a purposeful goal. Real toughness is not engaging in war for no good strategic reason other than showing the political virility of your administration.
Real toughness is effectively doing what you gotta do, is determining and executing what has to be done to accomplish your goal. I�m quite sure of this now that I think about it. I would urge you � yes you � to live strong and make every act truly tough. Don�t con yourself. May we all be results-oriented. I think the world will be a better place.
� 2005 Geoff Gladstone
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