Windy Returns

Recently a friend recommended that I make myself available to Help A Reporter Out (HARO). This is a site where reporters go to find people with specific expertise for stories they are working on. The friend that recommended it to me is a former journalist and someone whose integrity and wisdom I trust. I have been thinking about it, until…

I got a rather annoying call from the Badger News Network and a reporter with a vaguely familiar voice and manner.

  • Reporter: Dr. Klaus?
  • Me: Yes? This is Tom.
  • Reporter: My name is Windy and I’m the Senior Political Correspondent for the Badger News Network.
  • Me: Badger News Network? Is that new? This is the first I’ve heard of it.
  • Windy (the Reporter): You haven’t, sir? I’m surprised. We are well known. Perhaps you’ve heard our slogan? “When you are the news, you’ll be Badgered?”
  • Me: No, I haven’t heard the slogan but it does sound…well…ominous.
  • Windy: Well, we do make folks in the swamp a bit nervous, sir.
  • Me: Uh huh…I’m sure. What can I do for you.
  • Windy: Sir, I’m wondering if you could tell me how you feel about President Trump’s victory over COVID-19?
  • Me: Victory? When did he defeat it? The last I heard – a few minutes ago – our daily cases are going up again and most states are in the midst of a spike. Seems to me like it is still going strong.
  • Windy: No, sir. President Trump defeated it. In fact, you know, he had COVID-19, he overcame it, nearly died, and now is doing great. He’s probably immune!
  • Me: Wait a minute…you’re kidding me right? We have no idea what was really going on with him and COVID-19 and we still don’t know that he isn’t asymptomatic and still infecting people.
  • Windy: No, sir, I’m not kidding you. President Trump defeated COVID-19 globally (it is just about gone, in fact) and he defeated it personally…nearly rising from the dead.
  • Me: This is nuts. I can only think of one reporter that would come up with such a crazy interpretation of the facts…wait a minute…what did you say your name is?
  • Windy: Windy sir.
  • Me: How is that spelled?
  • Windy: “W-I-N-D,” sir.
  • Me: You mean “Windy” like big gust of air or like “Winthrop Dykstra”?
  • Windy: Silence…lots of silence.
  • Me: Did you hear me…you mean “Windy” like…
  • Windy: I heard you, sir.
  • Me: Then what is it.
  • Windy: (Sigh) It’s like “Winthrop Dykstra.”
  • Me: Ha! I know you! You are Winthrop Dykstra-Baum!
  • Windy: More silence…lots of more silence.
  • Me: You are, aren’t you? You are my old nemesis Winthrop Dykstra-Baum, winner of the “Tinfoil Stetson” from Kursgesadt for your groundbreaking story of conspiracy theorists who do not still live in their parents’ basements with a business of hob ferrets.
  • Windy: (In a hoarsey whisper): Yes, it’s me.
  • Me: Winthrop, what are you doing calling me?
  • Win D.: (formerly Windy): I didn’t know who else to call. Nobody else picks up when I call.
  • Me: Are you really surprised, Winthrop? Are your really surprised? Look at who you are working for now and what you trying to get me to believe.
  • Win D.: Look, times are tough. I had to take a pay cut to work with Badger but they are reimbursing my payments for Obamacare…until President Trump is successful in removing it and replacing it with something better.
  • Me: Winthrop, can you hear yourself? Trump doesn’t have a plan to replace it and you know it. You and a lot of folks are going to be in trouble if he does get rid of the ACA, especially now that COVID-19 is heating up again.
  • Win D.: Well, I’m glad you mentioned that. Did you hear that President Trump has defeated COVID-19 once and for all? How does that news make you feel?
  • Me: Good-bye, Winthrop. (Click)

The View from Jeff

This is another of Jeff’s drawings for Inktober 2020 on the theme “Tooth.” Seem to fit nicely with Jeff’s love of hockey.

Author: Tom Klaus

My name is Tom Klaus and I am the founder and president of Tenacious Change. I am convinced the secret to almost any good thing happening among people is relational trust. Want to be loved by your spouse, children, and family? Want to work well with others? Want to be an effective leader? Want to help your neighborhood, community, state, or country change for the good? Want world peace...actually, peace with anyone? Building relational trust is when fear, animosity, conflict, and the status quo begins to transform into cooperation, respect, collaboration, peace, and working together for social change and the greater good of all. A good day for me is when I can help social profit, nonprofit, and public leaders and their organizations grasp the importance of relational trust, let it guide their decision making, and inform their strategy. This is just one of the ways that I am animating and equipping leaders, organizations, and communities to lead change for the greater good. Tenacious Change is about changing forward into a future that prioritizes the greater good for all. We can do this better together. Come on along!

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