There Are Two Types of People in the World
That headline is so clickbaity I almost feel guilty about it.
Almost.
But making “two types of people” statements is kind of a thing with me, so I’m not ashamed. In this case, the payoff is, “Those who appreciate Jason Isbell’s lyrics, and those I have a hard time relating to.”
The categorization came to me when I was in a meeting with some dude who is obviously more refined and cultured than I am.
Not that I set the bar very high.
That guy across the table from me didn’t care for my quips, wasn’t tolerating my digressions, and apparently doesn’t value folksy charm. With all that running through my head on the way home, I started thinking about a song by Jason Isbell called “If It Takes a Lifetime.” Specifically, I was thinking about some lyrics in the third verse:
I don't keep liquor here, never cared for wine or beer
And working for the county keeps me pissin' clear
The guy I met with earlier? I bet he doesn’t know what that second line means. I wonder if he even has any friends or family members who work blue-collar jobs. I’d like to find out if he’s ever worked a gig that left him sweaty and filthy at the end of the day. Or if he’s ever been in the weeds at a restaurant job.
Maybe he has. It’s possible. But I didn’t get the sense he’s ever lived in that world.
That doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a friendly business relationship or we won't grab a drink together. And if we do have that drink, I’ll try to regale the wrinkle-free gentleman with some colorful tales from one of my crappy jobs. He’d probably love hearing about the bathroom procedures you develop with your co-workers when you’re 10 miles away from indoor plumbing.
Oh, and one other thing.
There are two types of people in the world: Those who pronounce the word “aunt” as “ant” — and those who say it wrong.
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