What's my intention with this post?
Well, I want you to read it. Hopefully, it will strike a chord with you. Maybe even enough of a chord that you'll choose to share it with others via Facebook or Twitter or whatever.
That's what I intend.
I've stated my goal, and now it's up to you, and the stars above, to decide if I reach it.
If I do, mission accomplished.
If I don't, life goes on. Chalk up another failure and move onto the next project.
But let's say something unexpected happens. Let's say this post ends up pissing people off, opens up a can of worms, sparks international protests and unlocks previously well-hidden secrets. Well, that may not have been my intention, but if I have any guts at all, I'll have to accept responsibility and deal with the consequences of this rogue posting.
Alright...here's where all this is coming from.
Aside from the heart-wrenching situation in Japan, the big news in my hometown this week was the cruel hit laid down on Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty by Boston Bruins behemoth defenceman Zdeno Chara. If you haven't seen it, check out the photo below or the video here:
The end result: a massive concussion and broken neck for Pacioretty, and nothing at all--no fine, no suspension--for Chara.
But here's what really bothers me. Interviewed after the game, not only did Chara try to pin some of the blame on the victim (saying that Pacioretty "jumped up" into the glass partition), but he waived all responsibility and consequences with this "get out of jail free" blanket statement:
"That wasn't my intention...to push him into the post."
Now I can believe Chara. He's not known for being a dirty player, and you've gotta be one sick puppy to truly want to cut an opponent's head in half (which is what a face-first collision with a stanchion can do).
My point is that saying it "wasn't my intention" isn't enough.
So, a bit of a rant now. Here's what I've been noticing lately as I claw my way back into showbiz full-time:
1) People (okay, not all but a lot) are reticent to state their intentions up front. Doing so sets an expectation, a "black/white" goal that they can be called on, and measured against. Not clearly stating intentions makes things murky and grey, and allows for avoidance or, even worse, dismissal.
2) Even if and when people do state their intentions, if things go awry, they fall back on the Chara-ified cop-out of "well, that's not what I meant to do" without being accountable for the new state of affairs.
It's all too easy. Stay nebulous up front, and cop a plea of denial/ignorance/oopsie on the back. Deny intent and you're covered by a cloak of immunity.
No no no. That's not business. That's not life.
That's for cowards.
So what did I learn this week?
Stand in the fire, godammit.