Occasionally my boss expects me to, you know, work. And it’s always a funny surprise to me, like I’m thinking that I’m here just to pretty the place up. Isn’t my presence enough to just motivate OTHERS to do the work? Sadly, no. These days, I have a pretty great job. Proof is found in my lack of complaints. But when Bossy starts asking me to do things besides the regular stuff, or when the regular stuff reaches levels requiring me to actually sweat a little – I do feel a wee bit put upon. And usually a couple of sighs and maybe even some choice words about my hard working self being unappreciated in my own time might escape my lips (okay, maybe it isn’t quite that dire – but you get it). And then I check myself and think, boy, am I a PANSY or what?! Because, seriously, I’ve had jobs that could run circles, squares, and even parallelograms around this one. Jobs that paid less, were much more labor-intensive, and also required me to work around some fairly unattractive (read: HORRIBLE) people. So glad I’m not there anymore. But, **sigh**, that doesn’t make all of this junk much more fun, does it?
Which leads to this thought: aren’t challenges just wacky that way? What is one person’s Mount Everest of pain is another’s walk in the park. I’ve mentioned before that I have this uh, tendency to compare. So I do occasionally compare the problems or issues I have with the problems or issues that my friends have – or, at least, the problems I think they’re having (ha ha – I’m being FUNNY and IRONIC – don’t hate me, please?). In my clearest moments, I am grateful for the troubles that Chip and I face, that are ours and ours alone. I wouldn’t trade our issues with anyone else’s. Because I know that we’ve been given the unique talents that will be necessary to overcome them. This is what I think. In my CLEAREST moments.
(When I’m in a more murky frame of mind, you might just find me day-dreaming about having the problem of too much money, or too much free time, or the HUGE ISSUE of not knowing exactly WHICH house to buy – They’re all so pretty! And we can afford any of them!)
A family friend, Gerry, has said that if we all stood in a circle and threw our problems into the center and were asked to choose a problem out of the pile, we’d all choose our own. I think this is interesting, because what it points to is not only the thing I mentioned above about unique gifts, but it also says that we’re attached to our problems, like a familiar fuzzy blanket. It’s hard for me to imagine addiction or sickness or dishonesty or financial woes as a comforting friend, but there it is. Without these issues, somehow we’d be less human. Our foibles and our problems define us, just as much as they can refine us - if we let them.
I really hate it when I’m reading a blog that makes a person’s life out to be roses and singing birds, 100% of the time. I can’t relate to those people. They aren’t real to me. Perhaps their lives really are that trouble-free, but I know that mine is not. And when I think about it, I really don’t want it to be. I hope in time I will allow the fire of adversity to burn some of my impurities away – so that I can be a better person than I am. This is the nature of work. This is the nature of trouble. It puts us in places we wouldn’t otherwise go. We can wallow there, or we can glean as much from that place as we can, and be the stronger, better people we were meant to be. I know which way I’d like to go – how about you?
In other news: I had a disastrous dress issue yesterday. A formula for malfunctioning clothing goes something like this: NEW SHORT NEVER-BEFORE WORN DRESS IN VERY THIN FABRIC THAT STICKS TO EVERYTHING + LACK OF MATERNITY TIGHTS OR LEGGINGS + THE ONLY LEGGING ALTERNATIVE WHICH HAPPENS TO BE THICK OVER-THE-KNEE SOCKS THAT ARE NOTORIOUS FOR FALLING AROUND ANKLES + STATIC CLING + LARGE COMPANY MEETING WITH 500 PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE x TOO MANY EMBARASSING MOMENTS OF SHOWING "ITEMS" UNDER THE DRESS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO STAY HIDDEN UNDER THE BLOOMING DRESS = A HYSTERICAL AND SWEATY TRIP TO OLD NAVY TO PURCHASE A PAIR OF MATERNITY JEANS THAT ARE TOO LONG AND THEREFORE REQUIRE DREADED “CUFFING” SO THAT THEY CAN NOW BE WORN SAFELY UNDER THE DRESS. It wasn’t pretty.
With that, I'll leave you for the weekend. Enjoy! Any good plans?
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4 comments:
I hate clothes. Well, maybe I'd like them if they ever fit me correctly.
If you want to read blogs about complaining, you should read my sister Kiera's, she complains all the time! Glad your job isn't TOO horrible!
Tearese--Oh! I checked out Kiera's blog from your blog--I didn't know she was your sister. :)
Amy Lynn--So sorry about your wardrobe malfunction! There's nothing worse than wearing clothes you're not comfortable in. And I appreciated your thoughts on people's problems. You're absolutely right--we all have them and they can make us better if we allow it.
Thanks, ladies. And no, my job really isn't bad. In fact, it's pretty great most of the time. I have nothing to complain about in this area. But rest assured, if I can find something, you'll be the first to know! Have a great weekend.
work is challenging me today...to stay awake. i wish i could be challenged in some other way.
i really liked the thing about choosing your own problems from a pile. that really made me think. for the most part, i think i'd pick my own. but i can think of a few i'd like to leave in the pile for someone else to try.
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