From the Editor's Computer
While we don’t want to get so
attached to our routines that they become ruts (or graves), there is a lot of
good that can be said about having a routine that you can count on, especially
when life throws you a curve ball or two.
My usual routine was completely
tossed out the window this summer due to fulltime employment at the library, in
addition to running the paper and working on a graduate degree course.
This is only my second foray into
the world of fulltime employment in my 13 1/2 year career. The first time was a seven-month stint where
I alternated working in Alix and Lacombe.
The euphoria of finally being healthy enough to even contemplate
fulltime employment, let alone actually work the hours, momentarily clouded my
vision of what I really wanted out of life.
Plus, at that time I was only working the two jobs with very little
extra-curricular activities in my life.
This time round, I only worked 8
weeks in one location. Like my rare
delusions that I am computer guru material, I have now twice lapsed into
thoughts that maybe I could work fulltime.
Well, truth be told, I can do the work, but it really cuts into
my other activities and does take a lot of energy out of me, and is not the
type of lifestyle I want at all.
Truly, I’m not a fulltime kind of
person, nor do I want to be. If it works
for you, great! However, count me out!
For me, the ideal is working two
days a week outside the home, with an option to add a third day (mostly during
paper delivery weeks). That gives me
contact with the public, a chance to catch up on any gossip, intrigue or
momentous happenings that I may have missed otherwise. It also allows me to connect with my friends
and acquaintances and get updated on their lives, while I update them on mine.
To balance that out, I prefer to
work two days at home on the paper - either half days or full days. That gives me a chance to do lots with
minimal interruptions and interactions, but still allows for flexibility if
necessary.
The best part of this routine is
that I then have three days left in the week to work on the paper, work on
studies, read, or even just relax in a corner and contemplate the great
mysteries of the world (with a book in my hand, of course).
Each of us has a different
perspective on life and a different way of expressing that perspective through
our work habits. Don’t try to be someone
you’re not, and you’ll find that work magically becomes fun!
Beth
To contact The Chautauqua, email: thechautauqua@gmail.com.
