February 5, 2022

OUTSIDERS AND INSIDERS

 

 

Garrison Keillor said, “A marriage to be happy needs an exterior threat.  New York provides that threat.”
 
Born and bred in New York I didn’t get it. I didn’t like the comment either. Maybe saying that would get a laugh in Minnesota and in every place in the country where Prairie Home Companion was on the radio. Did New Yorkers laugh?  I don’t know.  I didn’t.
 
What hurt me was the first part: “A marriage to be happy needs an exterior threat.”
 
Years ago a guy told me about something that happened in one of our religious communities.  It went something like this.
 
Five guys – who were soloists and odd balls – who really didn’t like each other – came together on one issue.  They didn’t like their new boss. He was appointed to their community and he was a “No no!”  as far as they were concerned.
 
They complained to each other. They decided to go to their bigger boss – the one who made the appointment. They did and in 2 weeks their new boss quit.
 
Actually he was the wrong man for the job.  He could be  imprudent.  He was also too liberal for that community.  The 5 guys stationed there were too “conservative”.
 
I put the word “conservative” in quotes – because they were not true conservatives. They were “againsters”.
 
Whatever ….
 
I also found out that after they got rid of the guy they didn’t like, they all reverted back to their former cantankerous selfish selves.   They went back into their own shells.
 
After that I understood a  bit more why Ronald Reagan won his election.  Make an outsider (the Russians) the bad guys and you get people to back you. Outsiders can unite insiders.
 
After that I understood a bit more company and county and country politics better. If you have internal and local politics, get a scapegoat, bad mouth them, and people will unite with you.
 
However, the internal problem remains.
 

 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2022

Reflection