Today was one of those days. It seemed like everywhere I turned someone else had a tragic thing happening in their life. Why is it that the old saying "when it rains it pours" is so very true.
It especially seems as if there are definite patterns to the way things happen in people's lives. Sometimes all is well and everything seems to fall into place with no effort at all and then there are the other times. That is when calamity after calamity piles up on the same poor families.
I can't help but feel that I am ok for now but I'm keeping my eyes on the sky waiting for it to drop. Just in the course of my work day and in my small office there was so much going on that it was hard to believe.
The day after my neighbor found out her husband was being laid off, her basement had a flood, her daughter needs a root canal and also college textbooks this very same week. My boss's husband had a post op infection and had to go in for additional surgery and will also be out of work for a long time. Another co-worker who is going through radiation treatments for her breast cancer dropped a platter on her foot and broke her toe. Another's brother had a surgical procedure and in the course of that had a seizure and it turned out that he has an inoperable brain tumor and lung cancer that was not diagnosed.
This sounds like the plot of a really unbelievable soap opera but I swear to you that all of this is true. The only unbelievable part of the whole story is that these people coped with all of this and came to work, did their jobs and actually had some time during the course of the day to chat with each other and maybe enjoy a laugh or two. The resilience of the human spirit is what is unbelievable. Sometimes it seems that a person has been kicked down so far that they can never get up again but the funny thing is that they do get up, they dust themselves off and they get right back in the ring and slug it out again.
I admire every single one of the people whose stories I heard today. They inspire me to never give up and to always try to look at the brighter side of the story. This is what makes us what we are. It is so easy to be a good, kind, funny generous person when everything is going well in your life. A completely more fantastic thing to be all of that when things are not going so well. Each of the ladies gave the others their sympathy, support and listened to what the other had to say. Sometimes that's all you need. Someone to listen and care.
This post goes out to my work family. Thanks for being there for each other and for me!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Education Envy
It has been a while since I actually had time to sit and think about anything. I took several college courses and was immersed in learning and studying for most of the spring and summer. It was really amazing that after so many years away from school my brain could still absorb knowledge. I was always afraid that I wouldn't be a good student. I hated high school with a passion. For a few years after I graduated I had a recurring dream that they came to me and said my diploma was no good and that I had to go back to high school. I would wake up with cold sweat and palpitations. This did not bode well for any type of higher education so I took a long pass on that and settled into just drifting along.
Last year in September my youngest son started high school. I went with him for orientation and helped him choose what classes he wanted to take. What surprised me was that I felt jealous of the opportunity to pick and choose and learn all kinds of different things. I had education envy! Of course I realized that high school was not an option....they frown on middle aged ladies in gym shorts playing dodge ball.
I had an epiphany that I wanted, (really really wanted) to go to college. Now anyone who graduated with me would roll their eyes and know I had gone off the deep end. I was a person that cut so many days my senior year that I literally forgot both my schedule and my locker combination. I really did not apply myself. Luckily this was during the seventies and thanks to many ridiculous elective choices I managed to pull enough credits out of the hat to earn that diploma. This probably accounts for the numerous diploma retraction dreams.
The first day of my first class I was probably more nervous than I was when I took my driver's test and I failed that miserably the first time. I walked into a class room that was packed. There were no seats left except for the very first row. Talk about the geekiest "kid" in the class. Had to be me! I really didn't look around I just kept my eyes on the teacher and listened and took notes. I really took myself a little too seriously. When class was over and I got up to leave I noticed that there was no demographic that would describe my classmates. They were Everybody! There were plenty of young kids but surprisingly there were older (really older) people and every age in between. One of my fellow students was one of kids friend's sister and one of them was a co-worker of mine from a former job. It was great!
I now have 13 college credits and a 4.0 GPA and I can't wait till September! I told you I was the geekiest kid in the class!!
It has been a while since I actually had time to sit and think about anything. I took several college courses and was immersed in learning and studying for most of the spring and summer. It was really amazing that after so many years away from school my brain could still absorb knowledge. I was always afraid that I wouldn't be a good student. I hated high school with a passion. For a few years after I graduated I had a recurring dream that they came to me and said my diploma was no good and that I had to go back to high school. I would wake up with cold sweat and palpitations. This did not bode well for any type of higher education so I took a long pass on that and settled into just drifting along.
Last year in September my youngest son started high school. I went with him for orientation and helped him choose what classes he wanted to take. What surprised me was that I felt jealous of the opportunity to pick and choose and learn all kinds of different things. I had education envy! Of course I realized that high school was not an option....they frown on middle aged ladies in gym shorts playing dodge ball.
I had an epiphany that I wanted, (really really wanted) to go to college. Now anyone who graduated with me would roll their eyes and know I had gone off the deep end. I was a person that cut so many days my senior year that I literally forgot both my schedule and my locker combination. I really did not apply myself. Luckily this was during the seventies and thanks to many ridiculous elective choices I managed to pull enough credits out of the hat to earn that diploma. This probably accounts for the numerous diploma retraction dreams.
The first day of my first class I was probably more nervous than I was when I took my driver's test and I failed that miserably the first time. I walked into a class room that was packed. There were no seats left except for the very first row. Talk about the geekiest "kid" in the class. Had to be me! I really didn't look around I just kept my eyes on the teacher and listened and took notes. I really took myself a little too seriously. When class was over and I got up to leave I noticed that there was no demographic that would describe my classmates. They were Everybody! There were plenty of young kids but surprisingly there were older (really older) people and every age in between. One of my fellow students was one of kids friend's sister and one of them was a co-worker of mine from a former job. It was great!
I now have 13 college credits and a 4.0 GPA and I can't wait till September! I told you I was the geekiest kid in the class!!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Time
I sometimes think I must have multiple personalities. How else can I explain how I lose time?
I feel like I take a lot longer than any normal person to ever get anything done. I think part of my problem is I am sooooo easily distracted and then I forget what my original goal was. I can literally spend an entire day and be completely busy and content and then realize I accomplished absolutely nothing that I originally intended to do.
Is that a bad thing or is it normal to be a complete underachiever? Maybe the people that get everything done on their to do list and then look around for something else to do are really the abnormal ones. God I hope so!
Don't get me wrong I'm not a complete loser. I do manage to hold a job and get quite a lot of work done there. I think its just when I'm left to my own supervision that I am a slacker. I feel as the surpervisor of my own home I should delegate most of the crap that needs to get done or maybe it doesn't really need to get done......ever.
I think that maybe it is a family trait that I have. I don't know which side of the family that it comes from, both of my parents were fairly hard workers and my mom can never ever ever sit still...(really she drives me crazy sometimes). I know that it must be hereditary or else why else would my brothers have this same affliction and why would my sons have it? My daughter I think is on the same path as my mom. She is always way busier and gets a lot more accomplished than me.
My ultimate goal in life is to be comfortable in my slacker skin but I can't. I still get embarrassed if someone stops by and the house is wrecked.
Somewhere there is a happy place where people don't feel guilt for being who they really are and people don't judge you for how productive you are, how clean or messy your house is and how much you accomplish in a day's time. I need to look for that place but for now I just don't have the time! : )
I'd rather be reading a book!
Boggs
I sometimes think I must have multiple personalities. How else can I explain how I lose time?
I feel like I take a lot longer than any normal person to ever get anything done. I think part of my problem is I am sooooo easily distracted and then I forget what my original goal was. I can literally spend an entire day and be completely busy and content and then realize I accomplished absolutely nothing that I originally intended to do.
Is that a bad thing or is it normal to be a complete underachiever? Maybe the people that get everything done on their to do list and then look around for something else to do are really the abnormal ones. God I hope so!
Don't get me wrong I'm not a complete loser. I do manage to hold a job and get quite a lot of work done there. I think its just when I'm left to my own supervision that I am a slacker. I feel as the surpervisor of my own home I should delegate most of the crap that needs to get done or maybe it doesn't really need to get done......ever.
I think that maybe it is a family trait that I have. I don't know which side of the family that it comes from, both of my parents were fairly hard workers and my mom can never ever ever sit still...(really she drives me crazy sometimes). I know that it must be hereditary or else why else would my brothers have this same affliction and why would my sons have it? My daughter I think is on the same path as my mom. She is always way busier and gets a lot more accomplished than me.
My ultimate goal in life is to be comfortable in my slacker skin but I can't. I still get embarrassed if someone stops by and the house is wrecked.
Somewhere there is a happy place where people don't feel guilt for being who they really are and people don't judge you for how productive you are, how clean or messy your house is and how much you accomplish in a day's time. I need to look for that place but for now I just don't have the time! : )
I'd rather be reading a book!
Boggs
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
I always thought it would be cool to have a blog. What would I write about?....Who would care? I have followed a few blogs and thought wow who knew these people had such interesting lives and did such amazing things. What could possibly be interesting about a 50 year old woman who works as a medical biller, goes to school part time and really lives vicariously through the lives of the peripheral people in her life.
The truth is that most of the people in the world don't live fantastic lives , have a ton of money or fame and beauty. Most of the people in the world are just like you and I ...normal everyday people that think we are missing out on something because we go to work everyday, come home fix dinner, watch a little TV, go to bed and then wake up and do it all again.
The reality is that we are the most important people in the world. The reason we are is that if we ever stopped being normal the world as we know it would come to a crashing end. Why is this?? Because we make everything happen. By our sheer normalcy we are the hubs that keep the world spinning.
How could the movie star have fame if we weren't shelling out the $10.50 plus for a ticket to go see their (usually crappy and not worth it) movie? Would the politician be anything but a big wind bag if we didn't vote for him (or her)? Lets face it we are the ones responsible for the mess in any political situation. We vote these people in and then bitch about what happens. Look at the mess this country is in now and I only have two words to say...George Bush. I won"t say anymore about that ...for now.
I think that regular people need to stand up and say I am important! and I am interesting! and take that all of you famous, beautiful, rich people!!
Enough for now,
Boggs .... story about that nickname will follow in another post!
The truth is that most of the people in the world don't live fantastic lives , have a ton of money or fame and beauty. Most of the people in the world are just like you and I ...normal everyday people that think we are missing out on something because we go to work everyday, come home fix dinner, watch a little TV, go to bed and then wake up and do it all again.
The reality is that we are the most important people in the world. The reason we are is that if we ever stopped being normal the world as we know it would come to a crashing end. Why is this?? Because we make everything happen. By our sheer normalcy we are the hubs that keep the world spinning.
How could the movie star have fame if we weren't shelling out the $10.50 plus for a ticket to go see their (usually crappy and not worth it) movie? Would the politician be anything but a big wind bag if we didn't vote for him (or her)? Lets face it we are the ones responsible for the mess in any political situation. We vote these people in and then bitch about what happens. Look at the mess this country is in now and I only have two words to say...George Bush. I won"t say anymore about that ...for now.
I think that regular people need to stand up and say I am important! and I am interesting! and take that all of you famous, beautiful, rich people!!
So I will write down my crazy thoughts and share the craziness of my everyday ordinary??? life. You are welcome to be a part of this life and laugh, cry or just plain thank god you aren't me!!!
Enough for now,
Boggs .... story about that nickname will follow in another post!
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