Great minds run along the same gutters.
In this vein, it’s obvious that my mind got raided Wednesday as Optic Managing Editor Dave Kavanaugh wrote on a subject I had planned, all about how the media get embroiled in politics.
No, we don’t exactly confer on what’s in the hopper for the week; yet I wonder whether it is possible that as I slept (at work) Dave was able to “read” my mind: or perhaps I talked as I dozed.
It’s probably no more of a coincidence than having all three of the major news magazines, Time, Newsweek and U.S. News, come up this week with in-depth issues on George W. Bush.
This week, therefore, I’ll cover two topics: the work ethic, and how some people use language.
The work ethic:
It’s difficult to fathom the dependability and dedication of at least three members of a local family, all well-known to anyone who shops in town. The three are Lujan brothers Lucas, Armando and Dennis.
But before offering specifics, let me point out that their father, Meliton Lujan, worked for 38 years at a store on Bridge Street, Maloof’s Grocery. I can remember Mom and Dad loading up the car each Saturday for their provisions. The elder Lujan helped them select the groceries, ran the tally and packed the items. That was in the O50s.
His son Lucas worked alongside his dad for 13 years. Another brother, J.R., put in 15 years at George Maloof’s store.
But all of that is just background. The real durability is in Lucas’s and Armando’s tenure at what used to be Great Western Building Supply, now BTU. Armando and Lucas joined the company in the late O60s and remained there into this century. Their encyclopedic knowledge of every bolt, washer, flange and grommet is impressive. Armando tallied more than 35 years at that store, Lucas put in 37 years, and “because I didn’t want to get bored,” Lucas went back to BTU this year as a part-timer.
Meanwhile, Dennis moved one door west of Maloof’s, to Popular Dry Goods, in 1962. He became manager years ago and has logged 42 years.
Too often people looking for work complain that “There aren’t any jobs around . . . they only hire family members.” Business owners usually complain that good, reliable workers are hard to find. “Once we train them, they move away, or else they just stop showing up.”
The Lujan brothers have shown devotion to their jobs. In the mix of the men, there’s a sister, Lucy Aragon, one of the owners of what used to be Johnny’s Mexican Kitchen, on Mills, and is now La Cocina de los Aragones. Another brother, Gene, has had a variety of positions at such places as the Bank of Las Vegas, Bank of Northern New Mexico, the Plaza Hotel, and West Las Vegas Schools. Gene and Lucy appear to have impressive work histories, but compared to Lucas, Armando, Dennis, and even J.R., they’re just apprentices. Language usage:
^ Occasionally signs don’t mean what they say. There’s a large sign on the south side of the Qwest building on Seventh, advertising high-speed internet service, “available in this area.” There’s an 800 number to call, but when you reach someone on the other end, you learn that there’s isn’t such a service in this area–yet. It’s still an attractive sign, albeit misleading. ^ Sometimes the words of wait staff are deceiving. “Here, let me take these plates out of your way” is a polite way of saying, “We need your table for other customers.” Did you ever finish a meal and pray that the plates would be taken out of the way? Oh, how annoying this empty plate is!
^ Notice how rates are never raised; rather they’re “adjusted.” So when the cable company or insurance company informs us of a “rate adjustment,” we’re supposed to feel all warm and runny inside. “I feel so-oo much better now that you’ve adjusted my rates. Ya know, I really dig paying an extra 10 bucks a month for the same service.”
Remember, you adjust your brakes or clutch, and an adjustment is what your chiropractor does to allow you to walk without a limp, or what your dentist does when your bridge fits too tight. But enough of that, lest my mechanic, chiropractor and dentist decide to “adjust” their fees.
^ “At will” is a term and a description of conditions under which some people work. The directors of the Highlands San Juan Center and the Highlands Santa Fe Center, Kim Carpenter and Lyn de Martin, respectively, both of whom served at the will of the Highlands president, just recently lost their positions. Similarly, short-term HU athletic director John Lumley was notified just a few days ago that his services were no longer needed here.
Clearly, administrators have the right and power to hire and terminate staff. It’s regrettable, however, that they were released so close to the start of school, when job options become sparse.