Sinking Ships

Artwork by Brennan Berg circa Sept. 2011

This past weekend was heavenly.  I hung in the sun, went barefooted, and got the first sap of the summer on my heels.  Soaked up a little vitamin D - the sunshine vitamin that I like to think will brighten me up.

These days I need all the brightening I can get.  As you know (or don't know), I am a flight attendant for an airline who recently declared bankruptcy.  With all the recent programs featuring the 100 year anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, I can't help but draw parallels between the Titanic going down and my company's rapid descent.  Both thought they were invincible and both had arrogant and ineffectual leadership.  Both were disorganised.  Both sent lifeboats away half full.  Can you guess who was in the Flagship's lifeboats?  I'll give you a hint - it wasn't women and children first.  Now it is obvious which class that I, a low level employee (and as management likes to say, the public face of the company), am traveling in - steerage.  That is one class below our paying passengers.  At least I am not in the band. I am not sure who is in the band but possibly middle and lower management.   Their jobs right now seem to be trying to keep the morales of the steerage class up even as we all slide toward the water.  A big difference between the Titanic and the airline is that a lot more passengers are going down with the ship even as our leadership leaps to the safety of their padded bank accounts.

These days when the pilots call to ask if anything is broken on the airplane, my favorite responses are "Just our spirits", or "Just our hopes and dreams".  Talking with a friend the other day, we both agreed that we don't want to be 'Victims of CorporAAte Greed', as so many co-workers like to pronounce.  We don't want to be victims of anything. 

So that being said, I want to strive for a better future and thrive knowing I am living life  with integrity and love. Of course that is easier said while I am sitting in Truckee on my back deck watching spring unfold than when I am on the deck of the Titanic trying to keep my head above water.

I want to leave you all with a very funny video by a talented guy named Gailen David.  Check it out.