Di Mariano Grossi©
Soldier’s eye, credit Mary Blindflowers©
After a very operational life unaccountably James was given the task as Officer at the Mess, since his colleague who had been performing that rôle till that day, was about to be transferred to another Unit. He bowed his head as every good soldier is used to doing, without refraining to express his doubts about his aptitudes to such a job. But a soldier does not discuss, he obeys.
After a few days James started to be aware about the infrastructural situation of the mess in the barracks where Armored Brigade Headquarters was located; first of all PVC pipelines were completely eroded and a terrible smell emanated from the garret of the building. James noticed opening the mess in the early morning before breakfast time and closing it after dinner it was invaded by mice. One day he asked for a long ladder and climbed through it up to bad-smelling garret’s skylight, entered it and watched there a lot of carcasses of dead pigeons which were food for the mice dancing in the mess when it was shut.
James wrote thoroughly about that in a detailed report he should have officially sent to Unit’s commander, but he gave him informally just not to put his back up. In it he asked for an urgent intervention of the local Military Hospital’s Disinfection Squad, disclaiming all responsibility in case of epidemic among mess’ users.
A few days were enough to realize how his commander tried to put the blame on James, since the rumors about pigeons and dancing mice kept going around in the barracks and together with them about James’ carelessness in getting cleaned mess’ rooms. It was clear the commander aimed at giving a low profile to the issue imputing responsibilities at James.
There was a unique chance to solve the problem: managing to inform unit’s Medical Officer without infringing the official channels.
One morning, immediately after dawn, James left his resting room, opened the mess and caught a mouse probably slackened and poisoned by the chemical candies James himself had bought and spread some days before; he put it inside a dustpan and left its carcass before Medical Officer’s room.
After a few days the commander removed James from his task, called Military Hospital’s Disinfection Squad that managed in a fortnight to clear the mess from dead pigeons and dancing mice: two months later James returned to the previous Unit he had been moved three years before from starting his beloved operational tasks again!
His arrival was accompanied by a warning letter to his new commander: “Watch out this guy! He seems not to support, but to fight the institution he belongs to!”
All the facts narrated in this item, even though they could be likely in a barracks, are completely invented and fruit of his author’s imagination.
https://antichecuriosita.co.uk/destrutturalismo-e-contro-comune-buon-senso-psico-pillole/
