by Rick Bretz

There is a phrase in its many forms that has been used for decades to criticize less than stellar effort.  That phrase is “Mailing It In”,  “Phoning It In” or in today’s vernacular, “Mobile Phoning It In”, “Texting It In” or “Twittering It In”.   Twitter by its nature reflects a lack of effort or a thought process as Twitter users prove each day. They all define the same state, “A lack of enthusiasm or effort when engaged in an activity or job.”

“To deliver a performance without commitment or effort, with lackluster results.”

Examples of “Mailing It In” are everywhere for committed people to admire or show disdain.  It’s the person who leaves their grocery basket in the parking spot rather than return it to the cart holder. A shocking lack of effort by many grocery store customers that creates more work for stock clerks the world over.

Take the person who connects to a Skype conference and then does something else for the next half hour. It happens all the time.  There may be times in the United States or in other countries where the briefer with a PowerPoint presentation is briefing him or herself thinking they have 9 other people on the conference call.

The spouse who says “yes” periodically to their significant other during the telling of a story while watching a favorite television show is just another instance.  The conversation “continuer” so that you can trick your wife or husband into appearing that you have heard each word from that day’s activities while engaged in “Dancing with the Stars” or “Ice Road Truckers.”

The parent who brings home dinner from a fast food establishment. Alright, that one may happen do to a tough day at work or, in the case of a single parents, they deserve a break.

The driver who parks a car over the parking lines so another driver can’t park in the next slot.  Ok, that one is on purpose but  it deserves a mention because the person is “Mailing It In” in the consideration of others department.

The pseudo-environmentalist who lectures people about saving the lakes and forests before driving away in a truck getting 19 miles per gallon or before getting on their private jet for the next lecture.

These “effort” fails are pointed out so that they can be held up in defense of “Mailing It In’.  Without examples of “Mailing It In” many citizens of the world would not have a bar to reach beyond.

An argument can be made that multi-tasking is a form of “Mailing It In”. splitting up maximum effort among many jobs.

However, after listing all of these examples, “Mailing It In” may be vital for the society to evolve, save time, generate jobs that clean up any less than 100 percent effort.  For example, the guy who “Mails In” a poor parking performance is providing work for automobile repair business.   The spouse that doesn’t completely hear a conversation misses the part where  the car was hit during the day because the trucker is driving on this ice. It’s funny how the world works.