ISawArkansas

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Last night’s network news reported that Boeing had suspended production of its 737 Max passenger jets. The 400 in storage will be delivered, but come January, no more will be built.

The interesting thing was that the networks went from that lede to talking about the economic impact – laid-off machinists, assemblers, pilots, grounds’ crews, sales force, etc. It sounded like the end of civilization.

All I could think was, “Isn’t this like Pintos that blew up when rear ended? Isn’t this like Corvairs that cornered like a water balloon until they were stopped by an oak tree or light pole? Is the concern for the driver or the money in the driver’s pocket?”

It isn’t so much that engineering got hornswoggled by management, it’s that the media decided the bigger story wasn’t physical safety for travelers, it was the possible dire financial repercussions.

Some years ago, friends bought 13 rural acres close by my house. They wanted electricity, which involved cutting some trees that became firewood. The man had a familiar touch with the backhoe and grader and did his best not to rodeo through patches of goldenseal while winding deliberately upward to the top of his mountain.

He gave thought to the outhouse, square foot math, building materials, a south facing porch, and his view of Blue Spring.

There was a glitch. A neighbor down below, who had lived there for 20 years, blocked the driveway with her Dodge Ram (oxymoron) and accosted Carroll County Electric workers. She cried, implored and threatened them not to cut scrawny cedars that housed cicadas every 13 years.

The man walked up to her and said, “Don’t make yourself sick over this, I’m not worth that. But when a ball is deflected, it changes direction. In order to keep playing, you have to change, too. If you want me to help you sell your house and find a more remote homestead, I will. But you’re going to piss somebody off when you start building. If you just go up and have a cup of tea with my wife, we’ll finish this work and it’ll be so quiet you’ll hear your goldfish swim. And you’ll have me up here where I can keep an eye out for you.”

That was funny because he only had one eye, but we’ll overlook that.

She was calmed, happy, much like a baby who just wants to learn and be acknowledged. It’s a wonder she didn’t purr.

Compromise was not the best solution for either of them until it was. They never shared a meal, but for years they smiled when they saw each other, and nobody died or went broke.