A Long Time Ago (we wished...) In A Parallel Universe Far, Far Away (we wished even MORE...)... a fictitious fable.

Once upon a time, in a land of opportunity was a small place on the map known as Slake Valley, and in a land that revered Smarts, the people in Slake Valley were tops...indeed, the OopahLoompahs of Slake Valley were the best-of-the-best in instilling Smarts...they were, without question, the envy of the land, far and wide. The Smarts they passed along was not only the envy of the land, but, by EVERY proxy real measurement known to OompahLoompahs far and wide, it was certainly so.

However, distrust and jealousy reared it's ugly head in Slake Valley (as often happens within the ranks of those NOT smart, including those, who, for one reason or another, think of themselves as 'Bosses' and/or had missed out on Smarts...an unenviable history of 'electing' Bosses who are-not-Smart seems to be a fault of Slake Valley), and a rift developed between the EeeeSiders and WessSiders, each erroneously believing they had been somehow grievously wounded by the other...it was NOT true, but the meddling Bosses goaded each into believing such nonsense.

In a poorly planned and executed tantrum, the EeeeSiders decided to separate themselves from the WessSiders. The EeeeSiders and the WessSiders parted ways, although both were superb at instilling Smarts in the minor OompahLoompahs they were charged with...and you know what happened? Instead of things IMPROVING for the EeeeSiders, predictably, they became more cumbersome...MORE 'Bosses' came out of the woodwork to micromanage what the Oompahs were already doing so well, MORE expenses popped up, and more headache/heartache ensued.

The EduCaré's of the OompahLoompahs ONLY wanted to instill Smarts...they LOVED to instill Smarts...indeed their very existence was to instill Smarts and the ONLY reason they get up in the morning, but with added layers of meddling 'bosses' and 'experts', they were being denied their very existence! 'Bosses' told them to 'improve your productivity' of Smarts, then stripped them of their opportunity to do so by taking away their DAYS to instill Smarts, then called it 'fiscally responsible'...then told them to improve their morale about instilling Smarts. Meanwhile livelihood and opportunity to help their OWN families at home had been sent 'to-the-rescue' from bigger-and-better Bosses from across the land who appreciated what was happening in Slake Valley, but the Oompahs were not given their help and no one explained why. Kind of hard for them to keep their morale high, but they did.

Ahhhh, God-Would-That-It-Were-Not-So, but, a long time ago, in a Universe far-far away... it is...and, according to Max DePree who asks in his leadership essays: "Why Do We Weep"? THIS is why we weep...and after years of exemplary, sterling performance to be charged with insubordination for simply asking the above, we weep...unashamedly, unabashedly...and continue to weep...not for ourselves alone, but for our OompahLoompahs who have families at home making monthly budgets, and car payments that have been denied, and years of devotion and dedication that has been discarded...