Work

I refuse to post much about work on my blog but it's not quite the tabboo subject that politics is for me...so I'm compelled to ponder the dynamics of the workplace today. I suppose this is rather obvious to most people, but work is such a microcosm of everything that is a part of life and families in general. I think this must be why it affects us so much. (Or at least, why it affects me so much.)

As we've all read in countless articles, we spend many more waking hours with our co-workers than we do with our own families. It seems that, because of this, all the foibles of human emotions are exacerbated in the office - we are faced with unfairness, irrational behavior, and jealousy - but if we are lucky we are also around nobility, honesty, and find some of our closest friends. All of my be friest friends (with just a very few exceptions) are current or past co-workers. In my neighborhood, I have not managed to connect with others. I feel rather isolated even though my neighborhood is very old fashioned - many families are very involved with each other and neighborhood activities. I've finally realized that this is because when I get to my neighborhood, I only care about being with my family. I don't have the energy or interest to pursue close friendships outside of work.

I probably expect way too much of my workplace - just as I tend to expect way too much from my spouse and children. I'm a very idealistic person, constantly pursuing perfection and wanting to make a huge difference in the world. But the truth is that office politics and bureaucracy seems much less "worth it" to me than it might to others. Well...and there's also the fact that I'm a complete control freak and want to run an office in a particular, friendly way!

So....as with everything else in life...I'm finally accepting that I need particular things out of work which aren't necessarily what the rest of the world needs. It's not a bad thing. It's just Jenn.