Quick fix

Fix it. Fix it now. Fix it quickly.

That seems to be the motto of the society we live in. On the surface, there's nothing wrong with fixing what isn't working or isn't working well enough. The problem is how we fix things or what we think might be the correct fix.

The inspiration for this ramble came as I was listening to my sports-talk radio the other day, although what happens in sports, as is said, happens in life. Sports is the ultimate quick-fix. Have a football team that sucks? Get a franchise quarterback. Languishing in near-last place in the standings, go over-pay for a power hitter. It's the same thing year after year after year.

So what is it about all these supposedly smart people who are billionaires and own these franchises, that they can't see what the problems are? Why do they languish in futility? There is generally a reason why your team sucks and throwing money at a big star isn't going to fix the whole. In football, RG III might be a great quarterback but you can't win games because your defense is terrible. North of 50's Yankees no longer win because they are old and slow and often injured. They now have a 2nd baseman who at the age of 31 or 32 wants a ten year contract worth 8 gazillion dollars. Why not take that 8 gazillion dollars and get several players that can help the team? (Personally, I hope they don't so the vaunted Yankees continue to miss the playoffs, boo-hoo). Sorry North.

Like sports, life isn't a quick fix. When there are problems there are usually underlying issues that need fixed. I often face the same issue at work. Sometimes I look at my product assortment (that I have no control over) and think, who the hell thinks this is a great idea? Unfortunately, ideas from my range of control are difficult to percolate upward without continual nagging.

But take heart, and for things you can control, look past the surface issues. A quick fix is normally a short-term fix in sports, and love and life.

Happy fixing.