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Arts Council Work displacement by W.E. (Bill) Hanna That the human mind is still, despite all of the research and pro- bing into its operation, "a far country"' is a modern truism. Although | have no pretensions to Freudian insight, nor any ex- perience or training in the field beyond that which most people hack out for themselves in the course of daily living, | believe | have inadvertently stumbled upon a phenomenon, function of the psyche or mental anomaly, call it what you will, that deserves further study, may indeed revolutionize the way we go about our work. It is a sort of displacement effect (if | may use a Freudian term) which | like to call the next-but-one syndrome. This function, or malfunction if 'such it turns out to be, of the human subconscious (I am con- vinced that no rational creature could consciously invent such a devious subterfuge) was discovered in the following way. | should ex- plain that at the time, | had under- taken the job of writing a newslet- ter for a local organization, a volun- tary task that for the most part | enjoyed, but that always seemed to be needed at an inconvenient time and was often a bit of a chore. | had one of these to do on the mor- ning in question and | was somewhat reluctant to get at it. In fact, i lingered over breakfast, had a second cup of coffee, did the crossword and generally diddled around for the best part of an hour and was casting about for some other means of delaying the dread event, when suddenly | was struck with an overwhelming urge to finish doing over my basement, a job which | had neglected for the previous three months. In a mo- ment, | was filled with more energy and creative drive than | had known for many weeks. | could not wait to take hammer in hand and get to work. | installed studding; | stapled vapour barrier; | measured and nailed panelling, with a brief break for lunch, until | collapsed exhaused late in the day, having completed a whole wall of the project. The following morning, since the lawn was getting a trifle long in the 'blade, my wife suggested that it might be a good idea to get it cut before the heat of the day. Instant- ly my mind became filled with brilliant ideas for my newsletter - interesting little snippets of infor- mation, funny remarks, clever quips which amuse without hurting anyone, wise advice to be given with suitably modest disclaimers - and | immediately got out paper and began writing. In jig time | completed the job, typed out the master, ran off the required number of copies and folded and addressed them ready for mailing. | need hardly report that the grass got cut two days later when the toaster needed fixing and the toaster... well, you get the idea. Now usually this sort of thing goes by unnoticed in the course of our hurried lives, but, for some reason, this one stuck in my mind and | could not let go of it. Finally, a principle of sorts began to emerge, a principle of deferment, in which the mind rejects the im- mediately apparent in favour of a more remote but also more attrac- tive alternative. The brain, | reason- ed, unable to cope with the urgen- cy of the first job at hand, seeks to tanka by chris wind more terrifying than Hiroshima victims whose eyes are burned out is the awful knowledge that it will not move me to act. Miami Vice and Donald Duck by chris wind when her mother explained what a hope chest was she didn't know whether to laugh or cry. canary in a cave by chris wind you Say its a sign of health (Maslow, hierarchy of needs) that a society like ours is concerned about violence on t.v. there are real people being tortured in a thousand interrogation centres So | Say its a sign of sickness by chris wind i see shadows on the wall of things happening beyond me. petrified into paralysis by too much and too little, i sit in the dark and chirp. a theor defer consideration of it - or possibly refer it to the deep sub- conscious - and, to justify the delay, suggests, or rather, en- thusiastically promotes ideas for an alternative in the interim. If this is true, and | realize it needs more research and verification, it has tremendous implications, not just for the organization of jobs around the home, but for the whole work- ing world. Office managers, for instance, could demand that certain urgent jobs be done immediately, while slyly leaving on the secretary's desk work that is really needed; shop foremen could insist on deadlines for some work, while cleverly insinuating tempting alter- natives into the workplace, and so . by my own ex- perience, admittedly limited, | would estimate that, by such means as these, more subtly designed, of course, efficiency in the work world could be increased at least 100% with a corresponding improvement in the morale of the workforce. Given further research with proper scientific controls in place - double-blind experiments and the like - | believe that this theory could make an incalculable contribution to human progress. It is a project that | think should be undertaken as early as possible. Need | add that | should be more than willing to co-operate in any such endeavour. In fact, I'll get to work on it right away...as soon as I've washed the car. { u\ IRI CALLS Art and Creative Custom Framing Galeri will frame everything from... Sonnets to Sailboats Downtown Midland 307 King St. (Adjacent to Midland Times) e Gale Thank you for the Flowers Oh, save the lovely daffodils To put upon my grave, For when April comes to passing There'll be one more soul to save. My sweetheart Mary left me, Now six months gone by, She took with her my heart, my hopes, And left me here to die. And everyday | visit her A home of grey and stone, I cry these tears of sadness And of being so alone. The monument my Mary has Inscribed beloved wife, Is but a trifle token For one who held my life. The time it passes quickly now, | feel the end is near, Pity not this man so old and bent For death is nought to fear. Soon |} will join my true love, Her smile again |'ll see, Then you can take your lovely daffodils And lay them over me. Sharon Parent Wicher feat Ait Wai 5 SW 3... Rgttrane Es Bhiaisie .3 Wicker Sale Oct. 31st to Dec. 12th 5% OFF Wicker and Rattan Furnishings Decorator Baskets * Unusual and Interesting Gifts for Christmas 538-2071 SHOP NOW AND SAVE! 115 Coldwater Rd., Waubaushene Wednesday, November 4, 1987, Page 19