A Memory from My Days Painting Apartments

From 1982 till 1986 Susie and I made ends meet by painting apartments (and a few houses) in the Twin Cities. During that time I encountered many interesting people with fascinating stories. 

On one occasion I did some work in the apartment of a young man with a giant map of the world on his wall. It was not an ordinary map. The fellow had been researching and identifying where all the nuclear weapons in the world were located. 

The day I painted there he returned for his lunch break and we got into a discussion regarding various issues related to the matter of global armaments. He explained the markings on his map and showed me the literature he would read to stay informed. But what stuck with me most was an ethical conflict that was quite personal. This issue that disturbed him greatly. 

He had a girl friend whom he wanted to marry, but her father worked at Honeywell, a major developer of military hardware. He wasn't sure he could compromise his convictions by spending holidays with the in-laws while having to suppress his condemnation of her father's activities or avoid sharing his own beliefs just to get along. 

His dilemma was very real for him. And thinking back on this recollection made me wonder how often we play it safe in order to get along with others. 

This is one of the challenges of life. There are no real guidelines for many issues and this--knowing when and when not to compromise--is one of them.