You can know anything. It's all there. You just have to find it.

-Neil Gaiman

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Monday, September 22, 2008

Taking the long (scenic) view

So last week I get a call at work.

"Hello. This is Mindy."
"Hello, this is P____ from the Department of Homeland Security."

I swallow noisily. Dammit, I think, They've finally found me.

"Okay?" Think, think, I tell myself. If I've learned anything from watching 3 million episodes of Law & Order, it's this: DENY! DENY! Deny until the very end. Never admit you did anything. Especially if you did do something.

"I'm doing a background check on S___, who is applying for a position with the Border Patrol. You are listed as a reference."

Whew.... Dodged that bullet.

Then I find out this person has to interview me (in person) as well as another co-worker who worked with this person. A few minutes after I hang up the phone, the Human Resources person walks over and stands in front of my desk, grinning weirdly.

"What did I do now?" I ask him.
He laughs. "I got a call from Homeland Security."
"You too?"
"They want the file pulled."
"There's files?"
"Well, I don't have much. A few sheets of paper."
"That's weird. They seem very thorough."
"I've worked here for more than 20 years and this is the first time any one's asked to see a file."
"Huh, well, at least someone is doing their job."

Today this person came in promptly at 10 like they said, did their thorough interview, and I was somewhat reassured to see that despite the fact that the majority of things we hear in the news about all the liars and crooks and scumbags and the whole house of cards falling down around us and people screaming for blood (and rightly so)there are still plenty of people in the world getting up every morning, going out and doing their jobs and taking pride in their work, dotting the I's and crossing the T's, and doing it with a smile on their face.

It makes me think that maybe we aren't all going the way of the Dodo.

And that's pretty optimistic of me.

Especially on a Monday morning.

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