Tuesday, July 16, 2013

A Simple Moment in July

It is just before 2:00 p.m. and I'm sitting in my office at work, desperately in need of a nap.  I've just hit a brick wall.  My eyes hurt from the glare of fluorescent lights, my brain is buzzing from information overload.  I'm so distracted by all of the tasks ahead of me that I am not even aware of any of the sounds or smells around me.  It is so hard to be in the moment here.  And it is for this very reason that I have such a love/hate relationship with office days.

I hate the commute.  An hour each way in heavy traffic and turnpike construction.  Today I stopped for gas.  $3.65 a gallon.  Up ten cents from two days ago, up thirty cents from last week.  Sheesh.

I love the people I work with.  Good-hearted, hard-working, goal-oriented folks, who also know how to laugh and have fun while being productive.

I hate the morning rush, the disruption to my normal routine, the lack of time for journaling or meditation.

I love the collaboration.  I feel useful, grown-up, maybe even necessary when I'm here.

I hate the meeting, break, meeting, lunch, meeting pace of the day.  It is simply exhausting.  So much so that by the end of the last meeting I'm fried.  2:00 p.m. has come and gone.  It's time to power down the computer and head home.  I can finish my work day there.  

I have three office days this week.  I hope I survive.

For more simple moments, visit Alexa's blog!

13 comments:

diane said...

Aren't those brick walls just awful?
I've always said that I don't think I could have ever worked from home .... too many distractions ;-)
Hope your week goes well

Karen said...

My work day was so different from this. Working with elementary school students was intense enough I rarely even thought about being tired until they all walked out of the room. The faculty meetings at the end of the day were a different matter!

Amy said...

I work in the classroom these days too and agree with Karen's comment - but, when we have had curriculum days and follow the meeting/conference format, it is exhausting ... and long commutes are dreadful!

Maria Ontiveros said...

Those are the days I remember that there's a reason I get paid! LOL!
Rinda

Anonymous said...

I completely relate to your post today. I too have an hour's drive to and from work each day and by the time I get home and have eaten supper am lucky if I can stay awake for the rest of the evening.

scrappyjacky said...

I feel very lucky to now work part time...but still hate that morning commute....even though I never have too far to travel.
Don't complain too much about the price of your gas....it costs at least twice that over here!!!!

Missus Wookie said...

I have the same problem with office days - I like going in occasionally, enjoy the lunch time companions, the chatter, the collaboration and yes feel a bit more grown up 'got a badge and everything...' but enjoy working from home too.

Off tomorrow for a meeting - an hour and a bit each way, on public transport though so I'll take a book to read.

Hope you make it through your week!

Miriam said...

I'm so thankful that I don't have to do that anymore. I completely understand, and hope that by the time you read this your working week will be almost over. Could you send us some fuel? ours is double your price.

Jen said...

Oh I am so thankful I am retired now! But only recently - so I remember office days - and curriculum days . I always did think meetings were more tiring than any other part of my working life. J x

Barbara Eads said...

I know what you mean about needing a nap. When I hit the wall, sometimes, just a fifteen minute break---time to close my eyes---is all I need to rev myself back up. Hopefully, with your short work week, you'll have time to re-charge your battery over the weekend. PS Our gas in Nashville is about $3.35---lower than the national average, but it's going up!

alexa said...

You sound weary and drained in your moment, Cheri - and so hard when there are advantages to the work as well as huge disadvantages. Hoping you got home and could revitalise a bit. Petrol and diesel here (I've just done the conversions at £1.35 per litre) come in at 9.09 dollars per gallon: feel our pain! Thank-you so much for joining in and linking up this month, and I am hoping that it was at least a little cathartic to be able to write it down and share it :).

Becky said...

I know exactly what' you mean. I felt exactly that way yesterday after a dreadful commute to work! Thanks for sharing your moment :-)

Ginger said...

I'm exhausted reading this! LOL! I guess I was in the moment with you :) Working in a cubicle I know what you mean about distractions. Hope things are going well for you!