WHY WE SAY IT

I apologize for Why We Say it Wednesday appearing on Saturday. I could give some excuses, but really, there is not one good enough.

Moving along.

Aaron worked in Dallas most of the past week. He was there training some people on a new software the company is using. It's pretty cool. I can see how Aaron would be a great teacher/trainer. And he knows this software inside and out. A few months ago, he even prompted the software company to create a whole new version of the software because it wasn't meeting his needs. So he told his software rep. what he wanted it to do; and Voila! the company adds the features and puts a new version out to the whole country!

Each evening after training, Aaron went out to eat with some of the guys to talk about how the training was going and lay out his game plan for the next day. They were sitting around shootin' the bull one night, talking about company procedures and politics, attitudes and the cliques that form, common denominators found in the people who are successful or not successful and how they behave and influence one another to behave.

Bandwagon
What It Means: a popular or successful movement, idea or activity that gains support from those who believe they will benefit from it or gain advantages from it

Where I Heard It: "If you think those guys are doing so well, why don't you go ahead and jump on that Bandwagon?"
- A. Bussey

Why We Say It: America's first great showman, Phineas T. Barnum, didn't wait for the public to come to him. Instead, he took his attractions to the people. Arriving in a city for an engagement, he would hire a high wagon of the sorts used by local bands of musicians for outdoor performances.
Parading through streets with odd-looking men and women aboard wagons, "Barnum's Great Scientific and Musical Theater" (a Freakshow, maybe?) was a sensation. Onlookers were encouraged to hop on the bandwagons in order to ride with the performers and add to the excitement.
Many political clubs built bandwagons of their own, then gave rolling concerts to publicize candidates. The impact of Barnum and elections on speech proved lasting. Any person who agrees to become a part of a movement, campaign, or simply joins the crowd is described as climbing on the bandwagon.