Day 62 -- first day back

The first day back from midterm break (aka Reading Week) began with an 8:15 AM lecture. It was a cold morning that made getting out of bed a real trial. Or perhaps that was due to staying up to watch the Oscars last night <grin>. The day was a flat out run from the time I left the house until after I had supper made in the evening. Tons of e-mail conversations that needed responses throughout the day and several student meetings. The paperwork that I'd hoped to get to today just didn't get any attention beyond moving it from one place to another on my desk. Parts of it had to wait until after I'd eaten supper and had an uninterrupted moment.

I half expected this to be the way the day played out, but I just didn't know what the issues of the day would be. I was correct on a couple fronts, but several surprises arose throughout the day. Some frustrating, while others required calming skills to help others through crises. All in all, a usual beginning of the week, but with a bit more 'oomph' behind it after having had a week without lectures. While I enjoy the tasks of the day, the rapidity with which many of them demand a response or solution can be very trying for a person who does not make snap decisions. I prefer to weigh out the options and make a choice based on understanding implications of all possibilities. Now, this doesn't always mean that I need days to ponder and stare up at the sky; it does mean that I need a few minutes between crises to calmly reflect before moving on to the next one. Sadly, our world seems not to be set up to allow this sort of reflection. Perhaps that is why we keep hearing of silly decisions in the news -- ones that must have been spur of the moment solutions that failed to review the options and implications. When the demands come from different quarters that don't intersect, it only adds to the stress load -- leaving one to make one decision while listening to the next problem. Not an ideal situation, but it seems the way the work world has moved of late - and not only in my current position, but across sectors and position levels.

At about 3 PM today I heard the line of  a song in my head. It made me smile as it did reflect how I was feeling most of the day. I love this acoustic version as you can hear the lyrics much better than the one many of us have listened to before. Enjoy!

Manic Monday -- The Bangles