Making people feel important when they're really not

In a setting where there are a lot of components to making something run smoothly, there are obviously some factors that are more important than others. For example: in a marching band, there are really important people without whom the whole production would probably fall apart, like field commanders or the head snare of the drumline. These people are important. 

Do you ever notice that during "teamwork" peptalks, important people like field commanders are always getting compared to people who really don't make a difference? "You guys are a team - from the senior field commander to the second flute in the corner. You all make this happen."  


Obviously, the person giving the peptalk doesn't think very highly of second flutes. Do you see what I mean? In making that comparison, you are actually undermining that person's morale by trying to make it seem like they're important, when they're really not. The marching band might look about .5% less impressive if that second flute was absent, but really, that's not much of a difference, especially when you have a marching band of 325 people.

Here's another example that's a bit more relevant to those of us who are currently trying to block marching band season from our memories. 


Today, I had to go to the annual acolyte training at my church. (An acolyte is the person who walks up and down the aisle at the beginning and end of the service, carrying either a big heavy cross or a "torch," which is a giant candle. Sometimes an acolyte swings around a [fake] dove on a really long stick so that it seems like the Holy Spirit is literally flying over the congregation.) 

We received a similar peptalk. 


"Everyone who is part of the Sunday morning service is essential. You, the torch-bearing acolyte on the left, are just as important every member of the clergy."

Saying that just makes me feel like I'm wasting my time, because obviously, the service would go on without me. Sometimes there's only one acolyte who shows up on a given Sunday, and the service still goes absolutely fine. You know why? Because you don't really need more than one person walking in front of the choir, carrying a cross. It's all for show. Yet they still feel the need to remind us of our importance - and it's so counterproductive, because when they're saying that you're "just as important as " you automatically know that you actually don't matter at all.


Okay, I'm done with my little rant. 



Yesterday, the 6LCF were all staying at Momo's house by the lake for a day, and it was a very fun day, filled with frivolity. We made curly fries (see House's photo below) and ate tacos and watched American Idol and played a game called Phase 10 and talked about boys (shout out to Poofy and EZ!). We also added to a very impressive list of "Things that R round," which was started by House as a way of studying for our Geometry final, which is now (thankfully) in the past. We also went outside, where is was very cold, and Momo almost died because she insisted on testing how frozen the lake was by jumping up and down on top of the ice. The ice didn't break, thank God, but it could have. 


If you sneezed while reading this post, bless you!


Bye.
Virgil