Be kind to your admin!!!

One of my biggest problems is interacting with humans. I get my fill fairly quickly of the bipeds and I often just want to be alone. Today is one of those days at work - I am at the front desk for the next couple of weeks of finals/spring break.

It started first thing: I took two containers of what was once a milk related product from the fridge and nearly vomited at the smell when I rinsed them out (one had been in there since January and I had been holding out for any of my 20some other coworkers to deal with it, as I am not a maid). J was running late so called me to give me a litany of instructions for students who were going to be dropping by - then let me know they had not done what he wanted (feel free to show up on time, then!). Another called in to say she was late for an appointment (more typical than not) so if the person came by, to have her wait. My boss (currently on the road) leaves messages for me on my desk phone (see sentence about sitting at the front desk for why this might not be practical). And so it goes: do we have pens in the supply closet? (go look!) Where is J? (in his office) Where is E? (at the bank, like the schedule book says). J2 tells me to go wash dishes (joking, but I'm not in the mood). So just when I am about to snap, a student comes in and offers to work for a bit so I can take a break. After I canonized her in chickie's book of saints, I packed up and came back to my office for a lunch break.

So here I am, sitting in my sweet little office eating my lunch and having some quiet. So what happens? The door opens - A says, "I know you're at lunch, but I need your credit card to order some supplies." Then J comes in and starts telling me about whatever he's holding in his hands and puts it in the 'to be filed' box. I take it out, hand it to him, and ask him to put it in my inbox which is at the front desk and tell him I'll get to it after my break is over. Then T comes in and she also knows I am on break but just needs to get my card as well to order some gifts for directors. Then A comes back in to tell me that she will be in sporadically next week - and this can't be written down in the book because she doesn't like writing in the book. So it becomes my problem.

All this is right after I checked my home phone voicemail to find a message from my dad about his visit with my grandma whom I had seen the day before. The message was sweet and the thoughts of my grandma made me teary - she's developing dementia and it's a bittersweet thing to spend time with her - wonderful to be with her but sad to see her digression. This time she had remembered my visit and told my dad about it on Monday - I was so thankful she remembered. But I don't get a few minutes to myself because my coworkers' needs are more pressing than mine. (snort)

I am tired of being on duty when I'm not, I'm tired of being an admin, I'm tired of working with people who don't give a thought to how they could be more respectful of my time and space. I would *never* presume to open their doors when closed unless I had received permission. I don't read minds, I don't see through storage cabinet doors to know what precisely is in there.

So really. Be kind to your admin and to those who are in more admin type roles than you may be. Pay attention to the stupid questions (yes, they do exist) you ask and multiply them by the number of people in your office or group - be aware that the admin type gets these questions from all angles. Similarly if you are interrupting, you can multiply the incidents of interruption as well. Simply put: plan ahead and be respectful. Respect that the person at the front desk needs a bit of space, both literal and figurative. It's the admin's domain, not yours. If you have an emergency, it's fine to interrupt. But if you don't, and the person is on break or engaged in conversation or on the phone, be considerate and wait to get their attention.

The golden rule still applies.

I just want to be home. :(

If I could...

change my name, I'd become Claire.

instantly speak another language, it'd be Swedish. Or Norwegian. Or Icelandic. Or cat (har!).

be an Olympian, I'd get my gold in swimming.

sing well, I'd do a duet with Allison Krauss.

finish a story, I'd be grateful.

understand why people think all veg*ns like mushrooms, I'd have one less thing to wonder about.

Three days in

and I can't say much beyond Lord have mercy on me.

By midmorning on Monday, I had already abandoned my 'pious' self for the indulgent and self righteous one. No, I didn't eat anything untoward, but I certainly judged two fellow Orthodox, prolly plenty of non-Orthodox, I was angry and full of self righteous fizz. I was hungry, but I was fasting. I was already wanting to read sites I had said I would break from for the Fast. I was already obsessively checking email. I was already losing. I don't know how to attain union with God save for the grace of the sacraments that I *never* deserve and probably shouldn't receive (the canons would certainly forbid them to me). Gracefully, my priest would not accept my faux-piety to keep me from the sacraments, as they are sources of life, healing, and union with God.

I really wish I could be at liturgy tonight instead of going to class. But this is the final session and I get to go to church on Friday, God willing. The psalms of the presanctified are flowing through my mind and I'm fighting back the tears - but are they tears of repentance or only emotion? This is such a powerful time of year and it's so beautiful - I'm terrified I will miss God. I am feeling my separation from the things of God more than ever. People tell me that means I am off to a good start for Lent, but I don't trust that these feelings aren't simply indicative of my arrogant self fabricating emotion for my lenten pride.

Would that I could pray this psalm with integrity and truthfulness. But I can't. So I'll shut up now and let the beauty of the psalmist's prayer speak for itself.

Psalm 131
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1 LORD, my heart is not haughty,
Nor my eyes lofty.
Neither do I concern myself with great matters,
Nor with things too profound for me.

2 Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul,
Like a weaned child with his mother;
Like a weaned child is my soul within me.

3 O Israel, hope in the LORD
From this time forth and forever.

Yothu Yindi

Music of times past; when fun was fun, friends were friends, parties were parties, chicks dug pookah beads, and dancing went all night.

Too many wrinkles these days.

In defiance of reality, I do wish you could go back - if even for just one night.

When you're in line with beat
And you're feeling so fine
And your feet can't help but move
Join the circle of men
Women, children and friends
In the rhythm of love

I'd so much rather

be out in the woods for a few days with the amigos, plenty of brew in the beer bucket, a nice fire, good music, hearty debates (HA!), a table for dominoes, and hay under my tent for some restful sleeping when I finally crash at 4am.

Oh to have a real car and no skool.

The Who sounds ozzzz right now!