Have you ever lived through a time when you thought to yourself, “Something’s not right”? That’s different than thinking, “Something’s out of whack.” More and more lately, I think to myself, “Something’s out of whack.”
An off schedule post
This is an off-schedule post. That means something different or interesting is going on that warrants paying attention to. So, my friends, read on to find out more!
Happy Labor Day!
Today is Labor Day. Most likely, you are off work and enjoying a long weekend. What is Labor Day, anyway? Isn’t it more than time to grill out with family and friends and celebrate the last day of summer?
As you probably know, Labor Day is a federal holiday honoring the achievements and contributions of American workers toward the nation’s prosperity. It is held annually on the first Monday in September. It was first celebrated on September 5, 1882, in New York City, and became a federal holiday in 1894. It is typically celebrated with parades and other celebrations, often organized by unions. I worked at two companies where employees were represented by unions, and they always had activities for their members and families on Labor Day
Anyway, in 2026, Labor Day is today, and I hope you enjoy the time off and reflect on the hard work of men and women like yourself who made this country what it is. It’s worth celebrating!
Introduction
As you read today’s post, you will find that, for the most part, I’ll be speaking from my heart about what I’m seeing and have seen go on around me. No notes or references (with a few exceptions) to authoritative sources. What I’m going to talk about comes strictly from my experience living and working around the world over the years and from my own personal values. This is the sort of thing that I call “The world according to Dave.” Of course, you don’t have to agree. That’s the beauty of “The world according to Dave”: we are each entitled to our opinions. But I’m guessing we will agree for the most part. Let’s find out!
Knowing when “something’s not right” …
Have you ever heard of spider sense, often simply called spidey sense? No? Well, it comes from the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man and describes his extrasensory early-warning system, which allows him to sense danger. You may have heard this referred to as a sixth sense (Note 1). Perhaps you feel that you or someone you know has a spidey sense (for a detailed description, click the link in Note 2). Typical examples include any or all of the following:
Able to detect imminent threats
Having an automatic evasion reflex, causing one to move away from danger
Possessing a combat awareness, the ability to detect the direction from which danger is coming
Having an internal danger alarm that alerts one to dangers before they are seen or heard
An intuition or gut feeling that something is wrong or risky
I’m not going to tell you I have a spidey sense, but I do believe I can size up a situation, assess the risk pretty quickly, and tell if “something’s not right.” Here are some examples:
I know not to go down a dark road “in a place I should not be at,” at night
I’ve seen suspicious groups of people coming toward me on the sidewalk that I have crossed the road to avoid
I’ve traveled enough to know that there are people and places that prey on tourists
I don’t attend protests or demonstrations
I don’t go into bars that don’t have paved parking lots (I don’t go into bars anyway), but I did go into one without a paved parking lot in South Carolina once, when I was young and in the Air Force with a group of fellow airmen. I got out of there as quickly as I could, happy that I was in one piece
I can listen to a car or airplane, or most any mechanical device for that matter, and tell if there is a problem, if something’s not right. I’ve always said, because I’m in the airplane business and being mechanically inclined is my gift, that airplanes will talk to you if you listen to them. If you are trained, you understand what they are saying to you. Most mechanical devices will talk to you if you know what to listen for and are alert to changes in normal behavior
My wife, and I think many mothers, have a gift for telling when their kids lie. Have you ever seen this in action, in real time? OMG, let me tell you about the time when one of our kids…OK, I guess I can’t tell that story…I mean, it’s like, “how do mothers do that?” Women, especially mothers, have a spidey sense. If you’ve never heard or seen that, just believe me, you’ll be ahead if you do
I know if it sounds too good to be true, most likely it is
A person is simply acting suspiciously. I’m not sure I can describe it better than that, but I guess you know what I mean.
I would guess many police, other law enforcement folks, firefighters, prison officials, and combat-trained military folks have, or need to have, a spidey sense, as their jobs involve dealing with dangerous situations. Having this sixth sense could keep them alive. These trained folks can detect when something’s not right.
For me, perhaps it’s more a general awareness of what’s going on around me or simple common sense, which I do think I have, rather than spidey sense. Not everyone has common sense, as you know. Bad things can happen to these people. They can screw things up. They can be taken advantage of.
…as opposed to “Something’s out of whack”
When I say, in “The world according to Dave,” vernacular, that “Something’s out of whack,” it’s different from “Something’s not right” and not what you would generally think “out of whack” would be. What do I mean by that?
“Out of whack” in common usage means something or someone is not working correctly, out of balance, or not in proper condition or alignment. It’s an informal term, but it is widely used in everyday speech. Many people use the term “out of whack” for mundane or common problems. Examples include:
The door is out of whack—it won’t close right
The airline schedule got out of whack because of a maintenance delay or weather
Something’s wrong. My sleep cycle is out of whack
A balance sheet does not align. These numbers seem out of whack
If something is “out of whack,” it’s off—misaligned, unbalanced, or not working the way it should. But these are small peanuts compared to what I’m talking about.
“Out of whack” in “The world according to Dave
While it’s true these previous items would be good examples of things that are “out of whack”, what I’m referring to in today’s post, from “The world according to Dave,” is a little bit on a grander scale. I’m thinking of what’s going on in our surroundings, in our community, our state, and our country. I could expand this to discuss what’s “out of whack” in our world, but that’s a bit deeper than I want to get into. Let me give you some examples of what I think of when I say, “things are out of whack” (Note 3):
Public figures, whether politicians, business leaders, or just people without enough to do who manage to get themselves in front of a camera and speak poorly, degrade, or tear down our country. America is 250 years old and has provided freedom and opportunity to millions of people. Why would someone tear it down? If you are not happy with it, work within the system to make changes or simply go somewhere else. I love my country and feel blessed to live here. This chaos, anger, and discontent seem to me, from a historical perspective, to be “out of whack.”
When working people demand more money and benefits than their value can support, things are “out of whack.” Let me give you three examples that come to me immediately:
Yellow Freight (also known as Yellow Corporation or YRC Worldwide) was a trucking company that filed for bankruptcy and ceased operations in 2023, resulting in the loss of 30,000 jobs. It was the result of excessive debt from acquisitions, failed attempts to modernize its labor network, and, finally, a mass exodus of customers when the union threatened to strike
Eastern Airlines and its unions could not agree on a contract, causing the company to cease operations in January 1991. At its peak, Eastern employed 50,000 people. Everyone lost their job. From the top to the bottom. What a shame
UPS reached a contract with the Teamsters in August 2023 that would bring the average annual pay and benefits for drivers to $170,000 annually by 2028. Since 2025, UPS has laid off 48,000 employees and plans to reduce its workforce by a further 30,000 in 2026. I’d love to drive a delivery truck and earn this kind of pay. By contrast, an Amazon driver in 2026, with wages and benefits, makes about $62,400 a year. With this kind of disparity for essentially doing the same job, one of these companies is “out of whack.” Would you like to guess which one?
Now, I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but in the previous examples, it seems to me that a better plan would be for labor and management to work together to figure out what’s best for everyone. Yeah, Dave, you say, now that would truly be “out of whack.”
When young adults get themselves into college loan debt in excessive amounts and graduate college with no viable skills that the workplace needs, something is “out of whack.” Where were the parents while this was going on? I think we all realize that college costs have outpaced inflation for many years, with the government continuing to provide loans to cover the cost of college, piling it onto students. There are better ways. For example, over eight years, I earned a paycheck, learned a skill, and earned five college degrees, up to a Master’s, with zero debt and almost no out-of-pocket costs courtesy of the US Air Force. The military, Walmart, Amazon, and others have plans to help with employees’ training and higher education expenses. Just sayin’…
When a country goes into debt, as America is today, something is “out of whack.” Worse, we continue to fund more entitlements at a rate faster than we can pay for them. Yes, someday the bill will come due, and kicking the can down the road will not be an option. If you want to know the consequences of this, just Google “What happens when a country defaults on debt” and see if that’s something we want to experience
When young people don’t want to work and expect someone else to support them, often their parents, then “something’s out of whack”
When we turn a blind eye to crime and want to defund the police, something is “out of whack”
When we allow millions of people to enter our country illegally, and then pay to support them, something is “out of whack”
When it takes two parents working full-time jobs to make ends meet, where children come home to an empty house, or the mother is unable to be there to raise her children, then something is “out of whack.” (Note: I’ve said before that I believe the most important job in the world is a mother)
When the divorce rate is 50%, something is “out of whack”
When human trafficking of children and adults, often resulting in abuse, is commonplace, then something is “out of whack”
The war on poverty was generally considered to have been implemented by Lyndon Johnson in the mid-1960s. While allowing today’s poor to live more prosperous lives by any material measure than the poor of the 1960s, the failed war on poverty has left essentially the same proportion of citizens dependent on welfare and disinclined to join the workforce. When I think of all the money and goodwill spent on these programs, I think to myself, “something’s out of whack”
The explosion of gambling, especially online sports betting. In 2018, Americans spent $5 billion on sports betting; by 2024, that figure had risen to $150 billion. Ethical and social issues aside, given that we all know the house always wins, when I hear and see the problems in families and society, and the money spent foolishly on gambling that could have been used to better ourselves, I just have to say that “something’s out of whack”
When I see all the advertisements for personal injury lawyers, and I think, “Are there really that many people being wronged? Are people looking for something for nothing?” Yeah, “something’s out of whack”
We’re hearing more and more about fraud of Medicare, Medicaid, COVID relief funds, and fraud in general. I have to say to myself, “Something is out of whack”
I’m not sure who thought it was a good idea to legalize medical marijuana or even recreational marijuana use, but if you, like me, don’t say “Something’s out of whack,” then perhaps we know the problem. Oh, I get it. Just like personal injury, gambling, and many vices, it’s all about the money
Whew…I’m exhausted. That’s a lot of big stuff that’s “out of whack.” And there is a lot more that I did not cover. I’m sure you have a few personal favorites of your own you would like to add to the list.
Where in the world are you going with this, Dave?
Here’s where I’m going, and you will recognize the theme. Over the past 250 years, we have built the greatest country in the world and have offered opportunities (not entitlements) to improve the lives of hundreds of millions of citizens and legal (and, frankly, illegal) immigrants. Some things change over time, and I understand that. However, and this is important, some things stay the same. Always. Forever. There are ways, legitimate ways, to make more money and live a better lifestyle today than ever before. But when we get too far away from the principles, mores, and values that this country was founded on, things become “out of whack.” When drugs, crime, lawlessness, moral breakdown, laziness, entitlement, excessive debt, gambling, and other vices get to the point that people are hurting themselves and their families and are a burden to society, then things are “out of whack.”
I’ve written in the past about what I call “The Order of Operation.” The Order of Operation (Note 4) is things that each of us should do, in a specific season of our lives, in proper order, that will result in not only our own personal success, but success for our family, our community, and our country. In my vernacular, order is the opposite of “out of whack.” Let me review this list for you:
The order of operation
Take the high school courses that will prepare you for college
Get good grades and participate in appropriate activities that help you grow and mature
Serve your country. Now, or…
Attend the college of your choice or learn a trade
Study the topic of your passion. Graduate on time with a degree or learned skill, in the field you want to work in
…serve your country later. Regardless, do it when you are young. Military, AmeriCorps, or other ways where you give of yourself to put others first
Meet the person of your dreams. While in college (or trade school), one of the most popular places
Marry the right person. Marry the right person. Marry the right person. Did I mention that you should definitely marry the right person?
Purchase a home
Have and raise successful children and be a great parent
Work hard, excel in your career
Retire on YOUR schedule with financial freedom
Enjoy the ride
Build generational wealth
Give back
What should we do when “Something’s out of whack?”
If we find ourselves in a situation where “something is out of whack,” we need to stop and assess it. Consider how it happened and talk to someone, perhaps someone you respect or someone in a position of authority, to make sure you are thinking correctly. And then, get back to doing what we know works. I would opine that if everyone followed “The order of operation,” we would be so busy making a wonderful life, with unlimited possibilities, for ourselves and our family that there would not be time or inclination to do things that would cause things to “get out of whack.”
Summary
Do you think, like I do, that there are a lot of things that are “out of whack?” What can we do? What should we do? I might suggest we consider what made this country great, what is keeping it great, and what we can do, at least within our sphere of influence, to return to those principles, mores, and values. If you are so inclined, run for office, start a non-profit, or volunteer in an organization that is working toward eliminating things that are “out of whack.”
On the other hand, if you perhaps don’t think things are “out of whack,” I would just say thank you for reading this post today. I hope it all works out for you.
That’s all for today!
Let’s help our friends and loved ones, shall we?
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When things are out of whack
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What’s in it for Me
The best thing you can do to live your best life is to be in control of it. That means having a realistic plan and executing it. I hope you have not experienced, and do not experience, any of the conditions I described above. In some cases, it may take professional help, but if you desire to overcome any adverse effects of these issues, you are on the road to bettering yourself.
Call to Action
What do you need to do today?
Recommended Resources
Click the links in the notes below and read them. Buy and read Achieve Your Dreams: A Complete Guide to Live Your Best Life by David Giustozzi (Note 5). Take the course, it’s a very inexpensive investment in yourself.
Up Next
Back to regular posting schedule.
Notes
Please note that as an Amazon Affiliate, I may earn a small commission on the sale of any of these recommended resources.
Humans have five basic senses. These are: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. A sixth sense often refers to a non-physical ability to receive information beyond the five traditional senses. Sometimes called a “hunch,” a sixth sense refers to the ability to warn of danger, detect deceit, or understand situations without logical deduction.
Spidey Sense, sixthsensereader.org: https://sixthsensereader.org/about-the-book/abcderium-index/spidey-sense/#:~:text=The%20so%2Dcalled%20'spidey%20sense'%20or,'sixth%20sense'%20attributed%20to%20the
Some of these examples are taken from the April 18/19 2026 issue of The Wall Street Journal in an article titled America Loses Its Will to Work.
You can read more about the order of operations in my Blog titled "Big Rocks First," published on April 22, 2025. Simply go to my website, click on the Blog tab, and scroll down until you get to that date.
Achieve Your Dreams: A Complete Guide to Live Your Best Life by David Giustozzi: https://amzn.to/3IxEFgy
Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us, by David Giustozzi: https://amzn.to/437OhVQ