Status

The status is the state of affairs, for instance in an election count or a rescue or at a moment in reporting the growth in your garden. The status is a report, a snapshot a mark on the doorway of how tall little Billy is today and was at age 6. That would be a record of the status of Billy’s height. We can also use the word ‘state’, as in the state of the economy to report on the status of the economy.

Status can express rank. She held considerable status at work. That status might be earned or conferred. If she is the sister of the owner and is simply installed at a high level the status can be fragile. If she earned her way up without trampling others, the status can even be protected by others. Those who do not feel like they have much status can, sometimes, act jealously toward those who are declared to have it

We all need to feel some status, position, worth, place. Without a feeling of at least a little bit of status we can feel redundant, worthless. Status at work can be indicated by our position on the organization chart. Higher status, higher on the chart. With that can go power, authority and trappings, like a corner office and/or a reserved parking spot. Status can be tinsel or it can be sincere acknowledgement of welcome

The use of visible indicators of status can be double edged. On the one side it can be helpful and kind of efficient to see rank insignia on a person’s shoulder. I know quite a bit about the experience training and ability of a Sergeant without even speaking to her. On the other side, if I am a Corporal or a Private, I may, out of internal self defence, unjustly decide things about this person, again, without even speaking to her

What is your status? On a scale of 0 to 10 where do you see yourself? As a parent, as a voter, as a spouse and colleague, as a worker in the world, along the continuum of royalty? In what area do you seek higher status? Where do you choose to hold the status you have, whether high or low and what might it be like to significantly change that? So, the status of this inquiry is that it has been made, but not yet answered.