Outrunning the Steamroller

I was gathered with a select group of evaluators processing data from another state according to a certain set of criteria.. I am not at liberty to say what data exactly or whose it was but that information is not essential to the lesson I learned performing my duties. We were rated according to how rapidly and accurately we processed the units of information each of which represented and reflected an individual human life. I had gotten into a rhythm and was fairly sailing through the material making the required determinations somewhat easily until I began to notice some cases that didn’t neatly fit the criteria. These cases seemed to be borderline kinds of cases that were unorthodox in method though seeming to achieve the same results. As I lingered in thought over these cases I knew my work rate was slowing. I had oppotunities to extend certain ones the “benefit of the doubt”(or the benefit of the “faith” as my wife likes to say), to be merciful if not quick and efficient. This was a chance to advocate for someone, to do or say in their behalf what was out of their hands now. My tablemate agreed and commented that these were examples of those who tend to get “steamrolled” in our society. Precisely the right word: steamrolled. Maybe our statistics wouldn’t be so impressive at report time, but we would have experienced the satisfaction of having made a positive difference for someone in danger of being cast aside in another way, and these ways have a tendency of adding up over time to a sense of defeat in life.