The American Stage

By Tammy Derouin

Life has a way of creating checks and balances.  We see it daily in our personal and business decisions. Every move we make is open for debate and discussion.  How we react to and handle life’s challenges gives us more control of the situation.  News will not always be pleasant, but better to take care of a small uncomfortable situation before it gets out of control, than to wait until it becomes a dire situation intent on destroying lives and relationships. 

An uncomfortable feeling; a red flag serves as a warning that something isn’t right.  Ignoring it will not make it go away.  In fact, ignoring warning signs will only make the outcome worse. You may end up going down a bumpy, gravel road in the short term, but I’d rather deal with short term hardship than long term misery.

I wonder how many other Americans feel like they are now sitting in the passenger seat of an out-of-control vehicle. The eyes dart from the map to the road, back and forth, knowing full well that something isn’t right.  We have been off course at different times in our past.  This will happen from time to time.  Experience from the past has taught us that when the scenery doesn’t look familiar and we get that undeniable feeling in the pit of our stomach, it’s time to pull over and regroup.  Of course, there are a few roles which need to be clearly established. 

The driver, the navigator and the arbiter all have different roles.  Each performs a vital function.  Neither is greater than or lesser than the other.  Their knowledge may be very similar but their responsibilities are different.  All roles are necessary to ensure that the correct path is traveled.  Each role establishes boundaries.  Although everyone may have similar knowledge, individual desires and the means to an end may vary.

The driver assumes the lead position.  He becomes the front man, the representative of the entire vehicle.  That doesn’t mean he is all knowing or all powerful.  He is not on a solo mission.  For whatever reason, his experience, knowledge, ability to cow poo through a conversation or the inability for the rest of the crew or passengers to see his fatal flaws, has put him in the driver’s seat.  However he got there, he’s there until the others recognize a smoking engine and a stiff right leg.

The navigator works closely with the driver.  This is a critical position.  The navigator is responsible for checking the course the driver has set in motion.  It’s also a position which can cause frustration for the driver.  Frequent arguments will occur on the journey.  Although this process may slow the trip down from time to time, it brings to light possible flaws and obstacles to consider before changing direction. This process is supposed to ensure that the best path, as set forth by the map, has been chosen.  

The arbiter plays yet another critical role.  When the driver or navigator wanders off course, you can bet you will hear from the arbiter.  Opinions and thoughts will fly and discussions will get heated.  All forward motion comes to a stop.  The arbiter, who is also extremely knowledgeable in map reading, will look at the facts, our current location and the direction we are heading.  He will issue his ruling and the course will either continue or be altered.

Most of us have played all of the above roles.  It’s interesting how we can recognize that having checks and balances in our personal lives is not only helpful but, in many cases, necessary.  To protect our individual interests, we seek out advice and ask for guidance.  We know that pain or the feeling that something isn’t right, serves as a warning.  Ignoring it will only make our health, our mental well-being and our over-all quality of life, worse. 

Why is that so difficult to see on the American stage?  When the driver assumes too much power and disregards the navigator, why do we ignore it?  When the driver unilaterally decides where we are going, how we are going to get there and then forces everyone to pay for and build the road he wants to travel, why do we accept it?  Instead of calling for a check on the power grab, we happily sing a traveling song. 

The blinders are securely in place as we voluntarily remove our rights.  We take one down, stomp it to the ground and give the driver one less hurdle to worry about.

“A nation of well informed men who have been taught to know and prize the rights which God has given them cannot be enslaved.  It is in the region of ignorance that tyranny begins.”

Benjamin Franklin