Jump Steven JUMP!

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Today’s Blog Post


Jump Steven JUMP!
Steven Slater’s story has been rolling around in my mind this past week after I heard what happened. Steven has become a kind of folk hero in his world… and maybe the world of many that would just like to tell everyone around them to. “Take this job and shove it!”

In the Yahoo News (by Holly Bailey) account I read… quote…
“It all happened as the plane pulled into the gate at JFK after what had been a routine flight from Pittsburgh. But shortly after landing, a passenger stood up as the plane was taxiing to the gate and began removing his bags from the overhead bin. According to the Wall Street Journal's Sean Gardiner, the flight attendant, identified as Steven Slater, asked the passenger to return to his seat.

A "heated" exchange ensued, which culminated in Slater walking to the rear of the plane, where he grabbed the intercom. "To the passenger who called me a motherf***er, f*** you!" Slater yelled, passengers tell the New York Daily News. "I've been in the business 28 years. I've had it. That's it." He activated the emergency chute and slid away.

Slater then walked along the jetway into the terminal, where he took a shuttle to the employee parking lot. Observers watched as he ripped off his JetBlue tie and threw it to the ground. Slater got into his vehicle and drove to his home in Queens. According to the New York Times' Ray Rivera, he was arrested shortly afterward and faces charges of criminal mischief and trespassing.”
End quote

Steven made his mark no doubt. And there are many that would like to do the same in their particular jobs.

As a Minister for 35 years there were a few times that my fellow ministers and I discussed the possibilities of going on strike as well… or walking out on the congregation. Being the filled with too much of Swiss Chalet or Kentucky Fried Chicken – we never did do anything about it.

When people in church were acting out and hating each other – or the minister(which would be me at times…) we all considered walking away from the nightmares. I mean, in church, they are supposed to be loving each other… they put on a show of love and newness… but even the suit they wore wouldn’t fool anyone. At times they hate each other – royally! But that is for another blog or the book that is being written. Ahem.

When the acting out took place I threatened to make picket signs and parade in front of the church building telling people that I would not preach again until they got their act together. If they wanted me to be a Christian Minister, then they better start acting like Christians, not Terrorists from another Faith Group!

I never had the guts to do a “Steven Slater” thing, instead it was easier to let them keep acting out the way they did to each other. But I do wish that I could have stomped to the back of the Aircraft and pulled the door open and jumped out… walked to the bus and went home.

The really stupid passenger that would not cooperate for their own safety, could just get their luggage and leave. The really silly “christian” could simply live stupidly and leave as well.

Steven has my respect.

But another man also has that respect as well. His story I have told many times over but is worthy of note again when Steven Slater did his thing.

This “Dude” has no name. He was a worker that did a job for the Town of Melville, Saskatchewan. A kind of Town Employee that did the dirty work and jobs assigned to him in that small Saskatchewan town.

Melville has a fairly large population of German folk that can be at times – stubborn, bull headed, unmoving and maybe even a little hard to work for.

“Dude” had a problem one day as he worked for the Town and the Management so he took steps to let them know what he thought of them. Something like Steven Slater did.

Now I pause for a moment here and must tell a little background that will help you fully appreciate the full story.

Germans are proud. They love to tell you what they do best and what they have as the best.

One family that my wife and I knew were just that way. German and Proud. They were kind of related at one stage in my life and because of that we would stop by to visit them when we lived in the next town – Yorkton, Saskatchewan.

While we were in the proud German home, they told us of all the canning and preserving that “the wife” had done. They told us how good the water was and then great benefits of living in Melville. Very Proud of it all. We had coffee and tea with them often.

Now back to the “Dude” that had worked for Melville. He had been fired. He didn’t like or couldn’t take the abuse any longer from the people of Melville… or the Boss… or the Mayor… of maybe just everybody. And he told them so. So… they fired him!

The “Dude” did something that was maybe the ultimate “in your face” kind of thing to do to people that bug you.

“Dude” climbed the Town of Melville’s main water tower, undid the hatch and jumped into the water. The lid slammed shut and he was left inside. It was kind of a nasty way to commit suicide but he managed to do it very well.

No one knew he had done this until much later. Much later was long enough for the folk of Melville to find only his bones. He had dissolved into in their pure clean water supply and they had drank all of him for a few years.

Sorry that was a wee bit gross… My former, proud, German friends threw out all her canning and preserving over the former years.

Looking at the Steven Slater action and stories of last week, then thinking of the Melville “Dude” in the water tower… I think of all the folk that endure the abuse of ignorant people around them.
YES – it is ABUSE – nothing short of stupid abuse that causes people to go off the deep end and jump into Water Towers, or out of the airplane’s emergency door… or even to consider picketing a silly bunch of so called “christians”!

I look on now and watch it happen in my world. I hear of marital abuse. I hear of physical abuse. I hear of child abuse. I hear of abuse around me all the time. Makes me sick but I can do nothing about it. BUT I do not have to agree with it… and I am out of here (or there).

You go Steven Slater! You have done something that the rest of us only dream of doing. Hey “Dude” in the water tower… you are remembered for along time!

Jump Steven JUMP! Jump for me and the many others that wished they could have – but didn’t.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Source:
http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/members/members_detail.do?locale=en&ID=2132
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20100809/od_yblog_upshot/jetblue-attendent-slides-down-emergency-chute-after-fight-with-passenger