Heritage

Like all of us I have picked up stuff from both my mum and dad.  No doubt I inherited both good and bad points, but I won’t go there on the bad points. 
Dad was a hard-nosed businessman but boy could he make people laugh.  He told me of the time (he was close to 90) that he told the post office person he was awaiting a letter from his grandmother – much to the merriment of those that heard him.
Mum was caring and spiritual.  She wore her heart on her sleeve.
I am sure the way I cope comes from one or both of them, though it can get me into trouble.
Some folk get angry, some throw up their hands.  To me, all are legitimate if they help.  My method is to take it on board with a view to dealing with it when I can.  My thinking is, I will deal with it when I can but as I cannot right now so there is no point stressing.
As a result some folk think I take nothing seriously.  I told an Auditor I was dreading their arrival.  I was.  The situation was serious.  Together we dealt with it, and moved on.  On the day I revealed the problem to them, we had a good time together. To me, nothing was to be gained by looking and acting all forlorn. So we worked through what we needed to do and did it.  What transpired stood our section in good stead for all future years I was with the company. In fact our section was used as a “good example.”
I guess it has to do with openness.  Being secretive tends to arouse suspicion, while openness and vulnerability tends to get folk wanting to work together.  Well it can.  If someone wants to score points they can, though what goes around tends to come around.  What is the saying?  He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword.
I am thankful for the heritage from mum and dad but I will always be a work in progress.