Wednesday, March 19, 2008

The Common Cold

I am now suffering from what the Guinness Book of World Records calls the most common illness in humans. I feel, and look, and sound, like I've been run over by a Mack truck. I swear, I just want to take to my bed and stay there for a week. Everyone I know has had some kind of illness this winter and I really thought I was going to get off scot-free. I figured that since I made it to March, I was golden. HA, that's what I get for being cocky!

But I went to work today. I got a lot of work done for our re accreditation. This is the most irritating, thankless part of my job description. I hate dealing with academic issues. I'd much rather deal with patients and insurance and co-payments...I know, I'm weird.

I have this friend at work who has an even more thankless job than I do. She does scut work for many members of the department and somehow is always smiling and helpful. She makes me laugh and we've struck up a nice work friendship. Sometimes I wonder how she does it, but I suppose she's like me. She has no choice. We both need to work. And don't get me wrong, I like my job, I just wish it was more fun. If I could figure out a way to make a great living playing with lipstick and shoes all day, I'd be one happy camper!!

And folks, that's all I've got for you today. My nose is dripping like a 3 year old who's been playing in the snow for a few hours and I can no longer breathe out of my left nostril.

I'm off to bed...wishing you all health...whatever you do, don't catch a cold until after Easter...

Friday, March 14, 2008

Blessed Are The Limber...

...for they never get bent out of shape.

I read this quote on the web somewhere today and it really spoke to me.

I'm in the middle of a very busy time at work. The unit I'm attached to is preparing the paperwork for the reaccreditation process. The hospital as a whole is expecting a team of inspectors to arrive any minute. My friend/co-worker is about to give birth and is soooo uncomfortable. I haven't been away from work for more than a long weekend since last June. Most of my co-workers are aggravating the heck outta me lately.

As I reread that paragraph, I got disgusted with myself. I work in a hospital, for Pete's sake!! The patients we serve are, accordingly to the demographics, poor, foreign born, aren't well educated and of minority populations. Some of them actually have to choose whether to buy their medications or buy food.

But so many of these patients smile. They grin their toothy grins and wish me a good day. That's when I get the hell over myself.

I have choices and luxuries that so many of these people don't enjoy. I didn't feel like cooking tonight, so I went out for dinner with FRU and my parents. I stayed home for a year after FRU was born. I have good health insurance.

I read that quote at just the right time. I had my panties in a twist over...geez, I can't even remember now...and simply laughed to/at myself. I realized that I had to stop taking things at work so seriously. Please don't confuse it with not doing my job. I'm good at what I do and I like my boss...but I don't have to internalize things.

I need to be able to "bend" when the situation calls for it. I'm not Wonder Woman, I'm not going to solve every arguement and I'm not going to win every person over. As I get the rest of my life in order, I guess I need to let the work stuff go. There are certain things I can control and the rest of the things (which probably counts for 99%) is out of my control.