I Wonder as I Wander

Do you ever wonder about things? I do. In fact, I wonder why I wonder so much about things. I don't know if it's unhealthy or abnormal, but since it doesn't hurt anyone and is not illegal or immoral, I'm saying it's OK. Probably my best wondering spots are the morning shower and when I'm doing some mindless task like running or walking the dog. Here are but a few of the things I wonder about, and I suspect you may detect some trends:

I wonder why people keep asking if the “green movement” has legs? I thought only people, animals, furniture and wine had legs.

I wonder why politicians always talk about change and how they will improve our lives but never talk about rising gas and food prices, crime and the many other things that affect everyone, every day.

I wonder how all the service stations in my city can raise gas prices the same amount at the same time and it is not price fixing or collusion, but if wholesalers did, it would be.

I wonder why when the price of crude oil is quoted on the radio as going up to, say, $112 a barrel for delivery in three months, it causes the local price of gas to increase 13 cents a gallon the very same day.

I wonder why some manufacturers are in the distribution and service business but have a cow if a wholesaler has a competing line.

I wonder how Italians get 42 days of paid vacation each year, the French 38, and we get 14.

I wonder a lot about automated answering systems. Other than trying to frustrate customers, I wonder why businesses use such answering systems. Also, I wonder how many people actually know the extension of the person they are calling, if they are not a family member. I wonder how many people have ever tried to get through to someone when time is at a premium and had to deal with an automated system. I wonder how many people at businesses that have automated systems have ever tried to call their office to see how frustrating it is.

I wonder how many businesses know their on-hold message is so loud that people cannot bear to hold.

I wonder why some people try to sneak into the HARDI opening reception and conference booth program.

I wonder why the few members who resign from HARDI say they never attended a meeting. I wonder why a couple of manufacturer's representatives will not register for the Annual Conference but will sit in the lobby and attempt to do business with registered wholesalers.

I wonder why we are expected to be perfect on our first day on the job and then continuously improve.

As I sit in the airport in Columbus at 5:30 a.m., I wonder who all the people on cell phones are possibly talking to.

When I am stuck in the middle seat of an airplane, I wonder why the people on either side are never small or skinny.

Finally, I wonder if senility is the reason I did not have a better subject to write about this month.
Don Frendberg, Executive vice president / COO