Current Post On Trae’s Blog:
My grandmother died last night. This wasn't a shock or a surprise. Her health has been on the decline, and she's been in hospice for the last month. She lived a long life, and in her final days she was surrounded by her three adult children.
My grandma was a kind woman. She wasn't perfect, but I always felt loved in her presence. She was a retired kindergarten teacher, and was still working when I was a kid. I have so many happy memories sitting at her kitchen table, and I'm going to carry those with me for the rest of my life. She was also proof that anyone who claims that you get more conservative as you get older is full of shit, because she certainly didn't.
I think it's interesting how the body processes grief sometimes. I don't know that I'll cry, but over the past month, knowing this was coming, I've felt a tension in my gut. Now that she's passed, instead of relief that tension is replaced by a sense of emptiness. That something is missing that should still be there. Something has been taken away, and I feel it.
Of course, as I wrote that, I immediately started crying... so I guess my body processes grief in pretty ordinary ways too.
I wanted to come up with something profound linking this to Beltane, which we sit in the middle of right now, but it just seemed hackneyed. Like I was trying to dig out some greater significance when the truth is death comes whenever it wants. The only predictable thing about it is that it's the end of all of our journeys. I hope that when I pass I'm so lucky to have lived such a long life with people that I love around me in my final days.
For the record, I will be fine. I just needed to get these words out while they were still in my head. I don't have some rousing conclusion or deep insight to tack on here at the end, just that gut feeling that something is missing.
Because it is.
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Garner redemption arc?
Possibly, but he might go back to his original mindset with Lynn. I think he knows damn well that dressing like a Nazi is wrong, and disrespects the US, Jewish community whom possibly have members at the said con, and everyone who even lived in the time frame of when Nazis were in power and witnessed their crimes against humanity.
Garner and Lynn have so far been on the same side during the actual con in general. I’m not sure if this is them putting aside their differences to work together when it counts, them actually learning to tolerate each other in general, or just Garner having a line he won’t cross even to oppose Lynn.
Hooooo boy. Here’s where I 100% agree with Garner but 100% go ‘Well, this busts chain of command.” Which is.. ooof.
This is where as Lynn or Ruth I go “I’m sure as heck not gonna stop you.” but step back and let Garner make his call to overrule the conchair.
I’m not sure Garner’s action busts the chain of command. We have Lynn and Ruth at the bottom of the chain, yes they’re staff, but they’re relitively new staff. When action needed to be made, they followed the chain and went to Jim, bypassing several levels of chain along the way, which given the importance of the situation and need for quick action, is perfectly acceptable.
Garner, independently, sees the same situation, and takes action. He’s a vetted staff member who’s been around a while, and thus is high enough on the chain of command to take action himself. This does not break the chain.
The break comes at Jim, who should have taken action himself, but Jim is the failed link who’s lack of action breaks the chain.
At least that’s my take on it all.
Do it, Garner. Take advantage of the loophole. Boot the Nazi.
There are times you have to say “Hell with it, morality moment” and go. Job or no job. Anything else leads down a pretty dark road eventually. For anyone sane, these moments are not common, maybe a few times a lifetime. Make sure they really ARE that hardcore important – people’d better be doing some bad stuff. But those moments are there sometimes. And for the record – yeah, this would be one of them. Big time.
I think I should point out, that we don’t know Garner’s rationale for booting the Nazi. It may have absolutely zero to do with his moral beliefs and more to do with how bad it would affect the convention and it’s bottom line. Thinking a guy dressed as a Nazi is morally wrong is not the same as realizing it’s going to effect the economics and future viability of the convention.