Meeting in the Ladies Room

An interesting phenomenon has been occurring in one of the stalls in the ladies room at my office. Some weeks ago, someone wrote, "Smile, you're beautiful," on the inside of the stall door.

Each time I have returned to this stall in the weeks since, more writing has been added to the original sentiment. First, it was a response of "well, thanks," followed by various comments, including someone chiding the writers about vandalism. One person wrote, "Inspiration stall, where attitudes come together." It reminds me of the old school song, Meeting in the Ladies Room.

I just find the whole thing odd. What is the deal with writing notes in the bathroom? Granted, this is a public restroom at a community college which is frequented by probably 50 or 100 visitors a day, and some of them are young, but still.

I guess it is kind of funny when you think of the fact that men have been asking for years what it is that women do in the ladies room. In this case, they are writing notes to each other!

It's a Dilbert Life

I love reading Dilbert because, as they say, there is truth in humor. There are days when it seems to me that Scott Adams must be secretly reviewing videotape from my place of employment. I imagine that part of the success of Dilbert is that we all can see ourselves in the strips. Aren't there days when everyone feels like they have a pointy-haired boss?

Reach Out and Touch Someone

In the 1980s, AT&T had a memorable and catchy slogan encouraging everyone to "reach out and touch someone." Sounds a little corny, and today if we did reach out and touch someone, we might end up with a lawsuit on our hands.

The concept behind the slogan, though, is still a good one. Reach out, make a connection with someone important to you. I am definitely an advocate of technology and I love using emails, texts, and social networking to keep in touch with people. That said, I still think that a phone call is the best way to reach out.

This evening I spent some time talking with a treasured friend who lives in the same city as me; I typically see her 2-4 times a month. The weeks when we don't spend time together, one of us will call to check in with the other to find out how things are going. The phone calls are what keep us connected when we are short on time.

I also called my parents tonight and had a lovely and enjoyable conversation with my mother. We live a significant distance from each other and only see each other once every year or two, so the space between visits is filled by emails, greeting cards, occasional letters and phone calls. I enjoy each of those ways of keeping in touch with my folks, but the phone calls are the best.

I can curl up on the couch and hear my mom or dad's voice and the miles between us fade away. If I close my eyes, I can imagine that we are sitting in the same room. In times of trouble or elation, or just any ol' day, a phone call bridges the gap between me and my family and friends. Speaking with someone, I can detect excitement, worry, humor and many feelings that don't translate so well in written communication.

If the person has an accent, speech pattern or habit that is unique to them, I get to hear it on the phone. My aforementioned friend is from North Dakota and often says "Oh, Barb" throughout our conversations. One of my dearest friends who hales from the Lone Star state always says, "Dad and them" when she is talking about her dad's family. Hearing my dad clear his throat or one of my brothers laugh--those sounds are deep within my being and resonate in my heart and mind.

I think AT&T got this one right; I know I need to take a little more time to reach out and touch someone!

Monday Musings

As I was driving home after a long day at work, I was considering what I would post about today. It got me to thinking about the fact that it has not been difficult at all for me to choose something to blog about every day (at least since May 1). Granted, on some days my posts are short or may contain photos, but truth be told, most days I have plenty to say about everything!

I have to wonder to what extent growing up in a large, rambunctious family conditioned me to always have something to say. My parents have always been outspoken and as my momma often reminds me, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree!" Actually, as the youngest of six, there were plenty of times when I only listened and observed.

As an adult, though, I have had to learn to remain silent at times, to bite my tongue, to allow other people time on the airwaves. As an extrovert, I have learned that introverts and less assertive or confident people have plenty to say too if they are given a chance. I have gotten much better at waiting before putting my thoughts out on the airwaves and at prompting others to speak up.

I guess with blogging what I am finding is that the airwaves are wide open -- there is no competition here. Of course, there may not be any listeners either, but it is still fun to post my thoughts!

Six-Word Sunday

Incessant rain

delays summer's

welcome arrival.

iPost

I have been playing with my new cell phone to see of I could use it for posting on my blog. It took a few minutes for me to figure out that I could enter text for by going to the "edit HTML" tab. I am not sure why I could not enter in the compose location, but I am glad I figured it out because there may be days when I am not near a computer to post. This is my first official iPost; man, I love technology!

Hurray for the Weekend

Thursday Thanks

Today I am thankful for dance, dance, dance! Whether it is a silly dance in front of my mirror or professional dancers on the stage, I love dance. I think the most important quality a dancer can have, even more than talent, is enthusiasm. If a person has fun dancing, then everyone else will have fun, too! Here are some clips of some dancers/dancing I enjoy!

• When I was a girl, I loved to watch old movies with the likes of Gene Kelly, the Nicholas Brothers, Cyd Charisse, and Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Amazing dancers, all!


• Any time I come across it, I will watch Dirty Dancing. Nobody puts Baby in the corner. I'll also watch Grease just to see You Better Shape Up! Corny stuff, but I like it!


• I like to watch the dance shows on TV, like So You Think You Can Dance and America's Best Dance Crew.


• I was a huge fan of Thriller when it came because it was unlike anything I had ever seen before - for all his personal challenges, Michael had the moves. And so did his little sister, Janet.


• James Brown had moves long before anyone today.


• I loved the Fly Girls on In Living Color. Did you know that is where J-Lo got her start?


• There is a great scene in the movie Tap where Gregory Hines, Sammy Davis Jr. and some other tap-dancing veterans have a challenge. I think seeing this movie is the first time I heard of Savion Glover. Boy can he dance!

I could spend hours watching dance clips. I am thankful for all dancers, famous or not, who share their joy, movement and passion with the rest of us!

Why work so hard?

Despite my best intentions, I've been letting the number of hours I work each day creep past the 8 hour mark. I did fairly well for a couple of months, but as the end of an academic year approaches, I find myself working later and later to stay somewhat abreast of my work load.

Yesterday found me, after the long holiday weekend, putting in a 12 hour day. It was a straight 12 with no break for lunch or really any breaks at all. It's amazing how many emails pile up in my inbox when I am away, even for only two days. Yesterday when I left work, I had not even made it through all of my emails, probably because I had to attend four meetings (thankfully the fifth was canceled).

Today I was determined to get through the bulk of the unopened emails, the majority of which required responses to the senders. I arrived at work at about 7:40 a.m. and it was 9:36 p.m. when I left. I did take just over an hour for lunch today, so I worked about 13 hours today.

Given that I work for a public institution in which there are no merit increases or promotions looming, and my position is exempt from overtime pay, I have to ask myself why I work so hard. Additionally, there are times I am certain that my hard work is not appreciated by those around me, so what gives? I think there are multiple layers to the answer, such as:

• My parents instilled in me a strong work ethic; I believe in doing an honest day's work for an honest day's pay.
• I perhaps think I work faster than I do, because I always believe it will take just a few minutes to "get one more thing done" before I leave for the day.
• My current work load demands more than 40 hours a week in order for it to be manageable.
• I have always been willing to do what needs to be done, until it is all done. This doesn't really work when I can't ever actually complete my "to do" list, but I try!
• Uhm, working is better than exercising? Hhhm, I know it is not better than playing racquetball, but maybe there is something to that theory.

Once again, I will remind myself that when the end of my time on this earth comes, should I be in a position to reflect on my life, I will feel best about the time spent with my family and friends, not sitting at my desk at work!

A Friend for Life

[Georgann and me, circa 1984]

On this first day of June, I am thinking about my friend, Georgann, because today is her birthday. (Birthday wishes, GG, for an abundance of love and happiness today and always!) When I was a young woman of about 20, I interviewed for a job at a savings and loan, where I ended up working for almost 10 years. While the interview led to a job and career that I never imagined, the best thing that happened to me that day was meeting Georgann.

Georgann was the branch manager and the person who interviewed me. I don't remember much about the interview questions, but I do remember that Georgann and I had instant rapport. The conversation was easy and the interview lasted a lot longer than I had anticipated; we just clicked right from the get go.

I was fortunate to work with Georgann for several years before she fully supported my transfer and promotion to a position in the corporate office. In the years I worked with her, I learned a lot about what it means to be a good boss. She was the kind of leader who communicated clearly and had high expectations, coupled with a recognition of the value each of her employees brought to the team. Georgann embraced new ideas and was willing to let people try new things.

One of her best attributes as a boss was that she was willing and able to maintain friendships with her employees. She had the ability to take off her "boss" hat at the end of the day and just be herself. I spent more time laughing with Georgann in those years than I can remember and we had some of the best times of my life. Even though I ended moving closer to my job at the corporate office and we didn't work directly together any more, Georgann and I maintained our friendship. (She was one of my friends who hosted a baby shower for me when I was preggers with Matt.)

Georgann is one of the people who has had tremendous influence in my life. She definitely spoiled me as one of my first bosses because she set the bar really high. I was young and did not know then what I know now--great bosses are few and far between! Personally, I have learned from Georgann that it is right to be strong and independent, to be willing to take risks and to try things even when the outcome is uncertain or unknown. She is a person with great love and acceptance of all people. She is willing to sacrifice personally to serve others--even spending about four years in the Peace Corps in Lesotho.

While our eventual move to the Northwest means that I don't see Georgann very often, she has remained a touchstone in my life. She influences me more than she can ever know, as I often think, "Georgann wouldn't be afraid to try that!" or "Georgann went on her Peace Corps adventure in mid-life, so adventures are still out there for me, too!" She is a remarkable woman and I am truly blessed that on that day when I went on an interview in 1983, Georgann became my friend for life.