One of the things I dislike about working in the public (and with the public) is that someone will come along and mess up a perfectly ok day with some crap. Now it’s no secret that I dislike my job. But I gotta work, ’cause I have to feed this pesky little habit called eating. Plus, there are these strangers that keep sending correspondence to me asking me for money (mortgage, utilities, etc.). So because I dislike my job, I have to perform a lot of mental calisthenics to get up, go, and perform. I must say I do a pretty good job of it. I get decent evaluations. I make friends. I’m an ok employee who subscribes to a work ethic that says “I’ll give you an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay.” I can’t do any less. It’s not in me.
Most days find me trying to overlook little indiscretions from students and colleagues. Choosing my battles, you know. I can’t fight’em all, all the time. I don’t have that kind of energy. But then there are those days, like today, when out of no where, someone does or says something that leaves me in the precarious position of having to decide if I should let it go, or blast them with a blazing torch. Today was one of them.
Out of no where, a colleague jumped all in my grill – my smiling grill because smiling is what we’d always done with each other – over some mess I had no clue would cause her to glare and talk to me with such hostility. I had to check and re-check my memory bank. Had we gotten on the wrong page with each other? Had I deliberately done something in the past that left a bitter taste in her mouth? Nope. So why couldn’t a ‘professional friend’ approach me professionally with her concerns? Anyway, to make this story a little shorter, she came out of a bag on me. I stood in the hallway with a goose egg in my mouth. Later, at a team meeting, I brought it up. She didn’t want to talk about it, but I did, so I did. Basically, I let her know that she shocked the hell out of me with her attitude. If we had always been on bad terms, it would not have, but we hadn’t. I also pointed out that it was her own tardiness that led to my supposed transgression, and that I had done nothing wrong. Anyway, I had to talk up. That’s what I do. I was later informed that I did it well and very professionally. So, after all that, I then had to deal with two impudent 12 year olds. Geezz. Everyone seemed 12 to me today. Sigh, and to think, this morning held such promise.
I would love to work from home. It’s so peaceful in my house. I am good to me within the confines of my abode. I get a lot done sans interruptions and insults. I hope the stars are lining up for me to make this possible one day.
Meanwhile…lemme go see what’s in the fridge — compliments of my distasteful job.
