FERGUS FALLS, Minn. — They called it a “Vitality Factor” of 46. I call it being unable to sit still in a cold room.A recent comprehensive analysis of my psychological profile suggests I am a “Group I Integrative” personality. In the sterile language of corporate consulting, this means I am “restless and uneasy,” a man who “resists being physically confined”.In the language of Otter Tail County, it just means I’m Yankee Heath Cheese. And I don’t read the instructions.The report says I possess a “superior intuitive ability” and a “low tolerance for details”. That combination is dangerous in a cubicle, but out here, in the real world of wind, water, and wires, it is the only way to survive. I don’t wait for permission to “control my own destiny”. I build it.The River Doesn’t Have a ManualMy profile says I prioritize “independence of action”. You see this best when I’m waist-deep in the river. I don’t buy fishing rods off the rack. Buying a rod is admitting that a factory in China knows more about how I fish than I do.I build my own rods. I tie my own lures. When the “Factual Judgment” score hits a 7 out of 9, it means I rely on past experience to make “real time” decisions. I look at the water, I check the hatch, and I trust my gut. The fish don’t care about your spreadsheet. They care about presentation.Controlling the FrequencySince high school, I’ve been a drum and bass DJ. The analysis nailed this part: I crave “high visibility” and have “contagious enthusiasm”.When I’m behind the decks, I’m not just playing music. I’m exercising authority. The goal is “to lead others” through a sonic landscape. I don’t need to talk to every person on the dance floor—my “Empathic Judgment” is a 4, meaning I treat them how I want to be treated. I give them the beat I would want to hear. I control the energy. I set the pace.The Code and the WrenchIn the garage, or behind a monitor coding the next iteration of Falls Digital, the drive is the same: “Concrete results”.Whether I’m wrestling with the ABS sensors on a 2010 Toyota RAV4 or deploying a Docker container for a new web project, I am driven by a need to be a “causative force”. I fix the boat not because it’s cheaper, but because I need to know why it works. My “Comprehension Speed” is high. I absorb the new info, I synthesize it, and I make it run.The profile warns that my “goals dominate”. It’s true. When the check engine light comes on, or the PHP script fails, the rest of the world fades away until I win.The Home TeamThe report says I am a “Team Builder” who operates best when I “demonstrate importance” to others.I’m a single dad. I’m the guy checking in on my 93-year-old grandma. They are the team. I don’t run this unit with an iron fist; I run it with “persuasion” and “warmth”. I protect my own. The goal isn’t just to survive the winter; it’s to ensure the people who rely on me know that the Big Cheese has the situation handled.I might be “overly talkative”. I might “resist controls”. But in a world full of people waiting for an algorithm to tell them what to do, there’s something to be said for a man who trusts his gut, builds his own gear, and drives his own road.That’s not just a personality profile. That’s the Yankee way. Known locally as “Yankee Heath Cheese,” is a web developer, DJ, and outdoorsman based in Fergus Falls.
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