wellness center

Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)

Meter Readers, icantdoit And Real Wellness
Saturday October 4, 2008

Current DR: October 4-6. Coming October 7: Worry Reduction Strategies Suitable For The Times

The other day, a friend asked me about disparities between what he called "achievers" and "plodders." He wanted to know if plodder mindsets could be boosted by wellness information, wellness programs and/or wellness cultures. He referred to plodders as "meter readers." He told a story that explained the term meter reader.

Earlier in life, he worked as a supervisor for a power company. One day, a top executive came to see him. He had a philosophical question. The exec asked, "Harry, what do you think of meter readers?"

The supervisor was referring to employees whose sole job was to walk around town reading electric meters. Apparently, they were relatively well paid for simple work. However, the meter readers (henceforth MRs) were, according to Harry, far and away the most difficult employees to manage. They had the highest rates of non-productive time, the worst attendance records, the most sick claims and the highest number of official complaints registered by them as well as against them. That's why the supervisor asked Harry for his opinion about MRs.

Harry said a lengthy discussion ensued. Harry also recalled that while the executive was a smart, educated, driven leader, he did not understand the mentality of MRs. He could not understand why they rushed through their routes to finish early, only to hang around the office for long periods doing nothing while fulfilling their eight-hour workday requirement. The supervisor wanted to know why they did not take additional assignments and return to the field to read more meters. Harry was incredulous at this, noting that the MRs had already walked anywhere from three to ten miles a day, in heat sometimes exceeding 95 degrees, while dealing with unfriendly dogs and other obstacles. Harry said he told the supervisor that their thinking was to finish the assigned tasks as soon as possible, then relax and enjoy themselves. The supervisor was surprised and asked Harry what his reaction was to this behavior. Harry said, "That's what I'd do if in their job." This was not what the supervisor wanted to hear. Harry said he often thinks about this episode when workplace issues are discussed.

Here's what Harry said to me.

"Think about that for just a minute, Don. This individual could not understand why anyone wouldn't simply take on more work to fill in the day, every day, because this executive had never done anything less. He could not comprehend the ordinary employee perspective, and during my entire tenure in management, the supervisor could not make the distinction between himself and others. One reason he rose to one of the highest positions in the company was because he was willing to work harder and longer than most anyone else -- to him, relaxing rather than doing more work did not make sense.

I guess my point, Don, is this: Is it possible that the old adage 'you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink may be true for a good part of the population? I'm not trying to pooh-pooh wellness, especially the Ardell brand. However, after my discussion that day (which, incidentally and amazingly, did not stop him from promoting me to my first supervisory position - over meter readers, no less), I started to pay attention to my fellow workers, the folks who worked for me, the folks who worked over me. I quickly came to the realization that we're simply not all created equal, no matter what the Declaration of Independence says.

I think it would be far more accurate to say that we all are presented with relatively equal opportunities in life -- but our ability to take advantage of those opportunities varies wildly depending upon our background, disposition, education, upbringing, social and economic status, color, etc. The same is true for how we embrace wellness, I think. Those who have had the advantage of education (whether formal or street); those who've had the advantage of great role models; those who've been fortunate enough to be born into wealth and privilege coupled with ethics are probably going to understand and embrace the things that will make their lives better. To motivate them, you need to create opportunities for them to find the very things you talk about -- DBRU equivalents out the yin-yang, so to speak. This is what we all crave more than anything else.

Those born into lesser circumstances, who had parents whose idea of a good night was pork rinds, Pabst Blue Ribbon and two packs of Marlboros, who were led to believe that education is somehow elitist and distasteful, or who had slacker role models are prone to always taking the easy way out. Reaching them is not only difficult; it may be impossible unless something else in their lives changes dramatically (they win the lottery, for example). So I guess the big question is: Is it possible to reach these folks? Could it be possible that their backgrounds have rendered them unable to think past their next paycheck, their next smoke, their next drink, and the 5 PM 'I get to go home' bell? Or am I just philosophizing too much?"

I wrote back immediately. I started by noting how I enjoyed his ruminations. I mentioned that I'd welcome comments on this MR dilemma from politicians and others, and discussions about such challenges as part of worksite wellness.

I think we all have ideas about meter readers, whether they read meters or not. Some of us like to think that, through an unfathomable chemical mix of genetics, good fortune and applied actions, we have risen above the herd of MRs. But, is this true?

One question Harry raised is: What if anything can wellness promoters working with business organizations advocate as strategies to deal effectively with the phenomenon of MRs? Should we try to save, reform or label such behaviors? Shame the MRs? Make them slaves? Give them the benefit of affirmative action?

Specifically, should we expect MRs to do what we would do?

I told Harry that I was "willing to work harder and longer than most anyone else," but only on matters that interest me, such as sharing with opinions with the world, to which I feel everyone is richly entitled.

I also asked, Why even think about making a horse drink? I never understood the sense of that expression. If a horse is thirsty, and I'm pretty sure most if not all horses throughout horse history have known when they are thirsty, it will drink. In fact, a human need not lead the horse to water -- the horse is usually better at finding water than a human. Point here is don't think it's a good idea to try to force horses or MRs to drink -- or live wellness lifestyles -- or do much else that they don't want to do. Rather, maybe it would be better to create conditions where people have maps that point toward water, for use when they want it.

Now that I think about it, I suspect this is what Harry was telling me.

Of course we're not created equal or given equal opportunity. That was an unfortunate phrase by our founding fathers. It might have been better if the framers wrote something like, "We are going to try to promote opportunities for all, but this is going to be really hard." Maybe something could have been inserted into the constitution that addressed background, disposition, education, upbringing, social and economic status and so on.

I thought Harry's words were golden for REAL wellness purposes and should be framed, particularly these: "Those who have had the advantage of education (whether formal or street); those who've had the advantage of great role models; those who've been fortunate enough to be born into wealth and privilege coupled with ethics are probably going to understand and embrace the things that will make their lives better." I told Harry it is the very things you talk about - "DBRUs out the yin-yang, so to speak" - that we all crave.

MRs need woo hoos. Those who are more than MRs need woo hoos, too. Equally. Maybe we need 23 woo hoos daily. Hey, that's what I've been saying for 30 years, with DBRU equivalents being the term for and meaning of woo hoos.

Even woo hoos will not turn most MRs into Uber MRs. We must set thing up so they can enjoy their choices of pork rinds, Pabst Blue Ribbon, two packs of Marlboros or their healthier equivalents while continuing to believe that education is somehow elitist and distasteful. Poor role models and dysfunctional imprinting, particularly irrational magical thinking and the inculcation of supernatural dogma from cultures imprinted during the long formative years, will produce MR slackers almost every time. Everyone needs good reasons to choose other than the easy way out, or MR lifestyles.

As Harry wisely noted, reaching MRs is not only difficult; it may be impossible unless something changes dramatically. (Winning the lottery will almost surely have little effect on MR status. It will bring temporary happiness - but temporary might be a matter of days or weeks, at best, followed by grief and then equilibrium and a return to MR drudgery.)

Harry had asked: "Is it possible to reach these folks?" My guess: Sure, it's possible but unlikely without a culture focused on REAL wellness.

In the meantime, I suggest that we offer as many woo hoos as possible at worksite wellness and elsewhere. That's the best to hope for.

Despite their unfavorable backgrounds, MRs can and do think past their next paycheck, their next smoke, their next drink, the 5 PM "I get to go home" bell. But, without a little bit of REAL wellness guidance, they probably won't do so very effectively, and they are unlikely to sustain effective action over time in concert with others.

One can never philosophize too much, but when REAL wellness is embraced, thoughts can be channeled into quality cogitating for more quality of life.

Be well. Always look on the bright side of life.

(Note: This essay will be filed in the archives in the PHYSICAL DOMAIN under the skill area of adaptations and challenges. Additional articles related to this theme may be found there.)

Current DR: October 4-6. Coming October 7: Worry Reduction Strategies Suitable For The Times
(Ed. Note: Views expressed in this and other columns are those of the author and not necessarily those of the SeekWellness Editorial Board.)

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