Only as strong as your weakest link

Ever hear the expression 'you're only as strong as your weakest link'? Since being out of the corporate world for a couple of years, I forgot about that particular expression until a month ago.

A month ago, my friend Bill made a very big decision to have Gonzo his 19+ year old cat put down. (that's the first time I got that friggen cat's name right after 8 years of knowing them both).

Bill asked me to drive him and Gonzo to the vet the following week. Pushing aside my guilt of years of telling him to put his cat down, I agreed.

Next week came faster than usual and I was trying to be very cognisant of Bill's feelings, especially knowing that Bill is a perpetual worry wart, planner and at times OCD...:) This had to be a flawless trip to the vet so I avoided being my usual joking-around self and kept things low keyed.

The appointment at the vet was for 4:30 p.m. and I had to drive from the north side of Edmonton to the South to pick them up and back to the north side during peak traffic time. On the way to the vet I started to get a bit worried about being late and having Bill's week long plan fall apart. It would only add to his stress. It was bad enough that the cat hater was taking him to the vet but being late...oh no no no no no - avoid being late at all costs.

Well 'at all costs' reared it's tiny little head. In my attempt to be on time, I decided to whip down the back streets of Edmonton north. In the distance we both saw a few pigeons on the road. I slowed down a bit but had no intention of stopping for pigeons because we were on the fringe of being late. Shit, every other bird I have ever come across dining in the middle of the road has scattered when a 2000lb vehicle headed its way.

In all my infinite wisdom and assumptions, I thought that the pigeons would move. I drove through the flock and what followed was an OH MY GOD moment as I heard a low pitched thump. The thump came from the front right fender. I immediately looked in my rear view mirror and saw feathers ever so gently falling to the ground. Oh my god I said again and started to chuckle.

I looked over at Bill and all that would come out of my mouth was don't tell the vet. We both started to laugh. The whole spirit and intent of my day was to make Bill's day a seamless and flawless one and not to throw a kink into his 'planned day'.

I rationalized the bird slaying to Bill (and myself) by saying that I had inadvertently made that flock of pigeons a much more smart and strong flock, simply by eliminating their weakest link.

Applying Maslow's Theory, I had self-actualized the flock of pigeons.