The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Jobs

BlogHer Prompt: Monday, December 10, 2012

Do you enjoy your current job (or your last job)?

The job last job I had, that I was working at when I sustained my brain injury, was the best job I have ever had. I loved that job, and I am totally heartbroken to have had to medically retire from it. I worked as a Service Canada employee, helping people fill out their Canada Pension, Employment Insurance, and many other Federal Government paperwork. I found it very satisfying to help people with their personal issues, and their was just enough variety in the clients that I did not find it boring. I know others in my office say it as simple secretarial or computer work, or menial paperwork, but to me, I looked beyond they paper shuffling, and data entry, to the people we helped. Each person I was able to help was satisfying to me. Even if I was not able to give them money in the end (ie if they did not qualify), they would leave my desk understanding why they did not meet the criteria, and most were not upset in the end. I have had a lot of people who I run into in the grocery store or other places since I have been off work, and they tell me how much they miss me at the office: they say I was the only worker there that seemed to care about the clients, and treat them like people, instead of just numbers.

Most of the jobs I have had in my life I have enjoyed. Even the menial jobs. The ones I did not like were the ones that had major personality conflicts with other coworkers or the management, so that going to work became a social nightmare. The job itself was not the problem: the people at the job were.

I think part of the reason I have enjoyed all my jobs is my outlook on life: I am an optimist. I try to always look at the best in a person or situation. I try not to look for the worst, the faults, the dark and gloomy side of the situation. In fact I will try to see the positive in even the worst situations. For I know that everything has both good and bad aspects, and it is just a matter of what we choose to focus on that shapes our outlook. If we choose to focus on all the negative aspects of life, then our lives will feel that much more negative. I don't just skip looking at the bad parts. I do look at the negatives, I just don't dwell on them, or blow them out of proportion.

In some situations it is harder than others. If you end up in a really toxic work environment, it is hard to find anything positive about it. I have quit jobs when this happens with no guilt, and have counselled friends to do the same, when they are being emotionally abused by their coworkers or boss. The worst jobs I had were at a payday loan company that was regularly robbed, and the management would not take proper safety precautions for the workers, a retail job that would not give adequate, consistent hours, and a drug and alcohol treatment centre that while it focused on the wellness of it's clients, was a horrible mental health threat to it's workers.

Passing on the Torch

BlogHer Prompt: Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Do you enjoy teaching others? Talk about a time you taught someone how to do something.

I do enjoy teaching others, especially teenagers. I think it is important to pass on the knowledge and skills we have to our young people, and prepare them for the world ahead.

I have taught all three of my kids to cook, do laundry, and do basic mending on their clothes. I wanted to make sure when they moved out on their own, that they would be able to care for themselves. I especially wanted to ensure my son was not going to be a burden to his potential girlfriends or wife: I think every man should know how to cook, clean and put his own buttons back on. He should not have to have his mother or woman do it for him.

One very enjoyable summer I worked in a craft store, and taught sewing classes specifically geared to children and young adults. It was a lot of fun teaching these budding crafters how to sew. I am concered that with budget cuts in school districts that soon we will see the loss of home economics programs. I see the cooking end staying, but easily see the sewing end being cut as non-necessary in today's world, where most people do not bother to mend clothing themselves. They just take it to a dry cleaner and pay someone, or toss it, if it was cheap enough. Sewing clothes for oneself is certainly a dying art.

One other enjoyable teaching experience I have had is working with the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets as as Civilian Instructor. I helped teach knots, sailing knowledge, and rifle parts. I really enjoyed the cadet movement, and highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a program for young people.

When I was working my last job, I did not get much opportunity to teach, as it was not in my job description, but I do find that teaching does help me to solidify what I know, as I have to be able to explain it. It is one thing to know how to do something. It is something else to explain your long-aquired knowledge and/or actions so someone else can do them. It is especially hard when it is something you do so easily that you hardly have to think about it anymore.

Now my teaching is pretty much limited to helping the twins learn about their envirnment. They are learning to talk, so it is a lot of repeating words to them. And constantly teaching them what they can and cannot do. Endlessly saying "no".  My biggest frustration is that with my problems reading, I cannot read even simple story books to them without getting dizzy. And they love books, and love to have the same story read to them over and over. I feel like I am missing out so much on this wonderful activity that they get to share with my husband and their mother. I do read occasionally to them, but after 1 book, or occasionally 2, I have to quit. Which upsets them greatly. I really wish the Drs could find a way to fix the reading issues: it is probably the one thing that frustrates me the most about my brain injury. And the one thing that they seem to feel is not worth addressing at this point in time.