The Royals swept the Dodgers tonight. This is the second clean sweep they've had since their new manager started. My husband and I discussed that managers must be pretty important in baseball. Frankly, they're pretty important in just about anything.
I worked at a Randall's grocery store in Houston one summer when I was in high school. It was my first job, and I had the worst manager I have ever seen. I had no idea that her reputation would withstand eleven jobs, more than fifteen bosses, and fourteen years at the time, but I did know she was horrible. Her name was Kathy, and she ran the section of the store known as the service center. We sold cigarettes and rented movies. We could check out groceries too when the regular lines were too busy.
Kathy was lazy and loved to eat. She would sit in the closet/office off of our area and eat hostess products by the box. I don't think I saw her help a single customer the entire time I worked there. Granted, I only lasted three months, but I figure she could have helped at least one person in three months. She was also really good at yelling. One day, she yelled at me from her twinkie surrounded throne in the backroom to get back to the register and help someone; she didn't bother to get up and see that I was out from behind the register to help someone find a movie as it was. Nor did she get up to help the waiting customer herself.
I finally left Kathy sitting on her throne eating ding-dongs when she scheduled me to work during the school day the first week of classes the next school year. I quit because I wasn't willing to skip school or band practice to work for someone who was apparently only capable of asking someone else to make the schedule. Managers I quickly learned are vital to the success or failure of stores, projects, and jobs.
Then there's the reality TV show clean sweep. I am sure that you are at least familiar with the concept. A team of "professionals" comes into the home of a willing participant and forces them to clean out. Then they makeover the space Trading Spaces style (without the trading part) and leave the occupants to make a mess of it again. It's a little like liposuction for your home; unless you maintain that change, it won't stick. Is it really a clean sweep if you haven't been taught how to manage and, therefore, maintain the change? There's that word again: manage...
If you've read my other entries you're aware that I'm working on my own "clean sweep" right now; I'm cleaning out our house and trying to lose weight at the same time. I promised to keep you guys posted. I've taken several tiny baby steps this week on the house. I tried to sell some of the clothing at a resale place her in town to no avail. I've decided that a garage sale is the best way to get rid of all the stuff, but I'm swimming in old stuff until we have the garage sale. I think the mess may get bigger before we can finally sweep this stuff out of here.
The weight is even more discouraging; despite my best efforts, I haven't lost an ounce in the last two weeks. I think I might be working harder on losing weight than I am on cleaning out and I am making less progress! I am finding that I feel better, so I figure that weight loss will come in due time.
Maybe what I need is a good manager. Or maybe I just need to do a better job of managing myself...
Really, I think the clean sweep is a myth. You can't have someone else do it for you if you want to be able to maintain it in the future; you have to do it yourself so you can learn how to keep it up. Baseball is just the exception that proves the rule. GO ROYALS!!!