Ticks

This is the time of year when the ticks come out. For those of you who don’t live in the ‘burbs ticks are nasty little parasitic critters that transmit all kinds of sickness as they latch on to their host. The Mrs. and I spend a lot of time checking the dog and ourselves for ticks since we know lots of people, including our eldest daughter, who’ve had Lyme Disease, which is transmitted by ticks.
Why do I bring this up? Have I gone into the public service announcement business? In a way, yes. I think each of you should stop NOW and look for ticks. Not on yourselves or your pets.  Look within your organizations.  What you’re looking for is someone who feeds off the others but contributes very little.   What they do contribute tends to be toxic and can result in paralysis, illness, and even death.  You know the types – always in a meeting but saying very little.  When they’re out of the meeting, they love to spread gossip and criticize management and peer thinking.  This activity generally is unseen although the effects are felt systematically.

Unfortunately, ticks are more likely to show up when you’ve gone off the beaten path.  This doesn’t mean you should travel only on well-beaten trails but it does mean you need to check constantly for pests.  If you do find a tick, it’s critical that you remove it immediately.  Don’t try and talk it into letting go and changing its ways.  It is what it is – a pest, a parasite, and a killer.  You need to pull it firmly away and discard it.  Sometimes I need to ask my wife to help me get one off the dog – don’t be bashful about asking for help.  No one likes these things and almost anyone will be happy to get rid of them.

So take a minute, have a look around, and tell me:  do you see the ticks out there?  What are you doing to clean them out?