Mark McLaughlin (American Grind)

In my career with large corporations, they gave all the employees psychological profile tests. It turns out that I test over-the-top for something called “strategic.” I can assure you that this is not an indicator of a high IQ. Haha. My brain sees the connectedness between things that often seem disparate to other people. My rote memory for details is awful but my instincts for what the details imply is way above average. I’m no futurist but I anticipate outcomes. I’m not a mind reader but my empathy is intense. Tomorrow, I might not recall exactly what you said, but I will definitely remember your emotions when you said it. Combine “strategic” with my GAD (general anxiety disorder) and you’ve got a guy who is attuned to worst-case scenarios. I’m a pragmatic optimist. I’m a problem solver because I can’t relax if a problem is being ignored. My brain grinds hard when I am worried about the future. My brain grinds in the era of Donald Trump – not because of the man but because of what he tells us about ourselves. My brain grinds hard when the news media is not addressing something that seems critical to me. Writing about the stuff that is grinding helps me to quiet the chaos and organize my thoughts. So, I write. There you go. This op-ed column is the outpouring of a brain that grinds hard regarding national affairs today. Welcome to “American Grind” and thanks for reading.