outer-jessie's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- work-life balance I feel something coming, but I don't know what it is. I can't determine which direction to turn to start watching for it. I can't tell if it's coming from within me or without me. Most generic prophesy ever. But I'm telling you - something's there. I have been living by these two mantras at work lately: Everything's Terrible, and Transcend. The first, because everything is truly terrible at the college with this new president. He's a dictatorial task-master with a closed-door policy who has made no effort to understand the cultural landscape of this place. He's working everyone to the bone, making inappropriate unilateral decisions, and holding meetings in secret with the delegates he has selected as worthy to receive his word. People are anxious, tired and desperate, and everyone is lashing out at everyone else. It's taking what little joy there is to be had at this job and turning it into fear. If you let it, which I am trying not to do. Thus the need to transcend. What does this shit matter? Nothing at all. G and I don't need to be here, in fact we want to get away from here. And as one of my colleagues said, in between other episodes of nastiness, this college will continue despite what stupid new policies are currently imposed and no matter what percentage of the staff decide to pack it up and move to greener pastures. This new guy isn't going to be the end of things, and none of is will die as a result, so let's all stop acting like it. It's easy to get caught up in righteous anger and to pick at things that piss you off, but why, dude? Why. It doesn't help, and it doesn't feel good, so devote your energy to other pursuits that do. Help and Feel Good, that will be my next mantra. Not cause and effect ("help and you will feel good") but two distinct criteria ("I want to help and I want to feel good"). I do see the value and nobility of the occasional need for self-sacrifice, but it should not be an expectation. It seems like everyone thinks that people like us need to throw ourselves onto the fire in order to do right by this population, and that's a selfish and unrealistic demand. It should be possible to both do a good job and to relish one's life as distinct from one's work. 12:02 p.m. - 2013-08-30 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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