Friends in High Places

I consider the birds my friends.  And they can be in high places for sure.  Very high places.  When one is making a lot of noise I don’t like to say, “don’t make me make Merril come up there.”
I am actually not real good with heights.  That is putting it mildly.  I am actually terrible with heights.  I reckon I must have been traumatised as a kid.  I do not know where it comes from really.  All I know is that when on a mountain top, or tall building, I am generally a long way from the edge.  I am even paranoid when I see people close to the edge.  It does not matter they are well enclosed and safe.  I cower against a far wall.
Even when visiting businesses that are high in high rise buildings, it generally takes me a while to venture a look down to the street.  I do not mind a magnificent view at a distance but close up to an edge is a different story.
I was talking with a friend yesterday who had spent a number of years overseas.  He saw for himself the negative influence of friends in high places.  It was all about connections it seems.  If you had the right connections anything was possible.  If you did not, you were at the mercy of whatever authority was being dealt with at the time.  In many third world countries it is a reasonable source of income rather than just relying on the pay that is afforded to the position.
In Australia on the whole it does seem reasonable.  Though a bit does seem to depend on who is being dealt with at the time,  Also the attitude of the person being questioned does seem to play a part to.  Sometimes people just seem to be naturally disagreeable.  At other times when the person being questioned questions the one in authority. that one seems to want to make sure the questioner loses.
The friend I have in high places has always done right by me, and never at the expense of another of good will.    I remember hearing of a guy who needed something from the bank last minute.  He knew appointments with the bank manger generally took weeks to organize.  He did not have weeks.  So, dressed in a suite, he told the person he saw he represented the highest authority in the land.  They thought he was like from the tax office or ombudsman or something.  So it went right up the chain that a representative of the highest authority in the land wanted to see the manager.    He got to see the manager and got what he needed.
I have the same friend.  It really is it seems, it is not what you know, but who you know.