A Day As Part Of The Working

I cannot tell you how good it feels to be part of the working again. I’m still pinching myself. Even though I was hired for my MS Access skills they are giving me some good exposure to technologies that I never thought I’d ever get a real opportunity to work with. This is truly a career building opportunity. My immediate supervisor and the other people on the team that I work with have been very helpful. They’ve been nothing but supportive and patient with me. I really do feel like I am very fortunate. For the time being I enjoy waking up in the morning and going to work in the fields. So this is what it’s like to have a job that you truly appreciate!

My day usually starts about three in the morning. Most times I wake up before three. I’ll lie in the bed and do a little meditation and day dreaming. My mind will reflect on my dreams, on my day before, on my day to come, on something I saw on television, or read in the paper, or whatever. But I’m out of the bed at three and I’m at the computer. I’ll start the television and watch the news or something I recorded so I could watch at a time like this when everyone else is asleep and I have the house to myself. My attention is split between the television and the computer. I might be surfing the net looking to do a little research for an article I’m writing. I’m responding to personal emails. I’m responding to comments to the blog. I’m writing my blog. This will go on until about four thirty when I start getting ready for the gym.

About four forty five I’m out the house so I can be at the gym by five. I’ll start with about forty five minutes of cardio and then I hit the weights for another fifty minutes. I’m back home by six fifty, I’ll have a bath (no shower in the apartment), and dress for work. I’m out of the house again by seven thirty so I can be at work and at my desk at eight.

As I work I’m trying to keep track of every random thought that might be helpful to my writing. I’ll hear a snippet of conversation that might inspire me. I have to write these thoughts down immediately less they become unregistered parts of history. My mind is like a train and my thoughts are constantly leaving the station.

A lot of the people are friendly. A lot of people are frosty. I’ll see somebody in the hallway and offer a good morning or whatever and they’ll act like I didn’t say shit. I’ll wait until we make contact, speak to people, and they’ll look down at their feet or some other direction, anything rather be coerced into acknowledging my existence. That really is too bad. There’s the woman who saw me as I came around the corner. She looked up at me then goes back to her work. But then she suddenly does a double take as if she couldn’t believe what she saw. She then turns her entire body away to assure that she doesn’t make the mistake of looking up again. There’s the white guy who pretends to be deaf. Only problem is someone else walks by and the wax in his ears suddenly clears up. Some white people are truly a credit to their ancestry.

But there are a surprising number of black professionals in this working environment.  White people are still the vast majority of the office population.  But I estimate that the black community makes up fifteen percent of the group.  The Asian population is well represented and there is a small but noticeable contingent of people from India as well.  This is one of the most diverse working environments I’ve ever experienced.

I usually leave work about four thirty or five. Last night I had a nagging PL/SQL problem and didn’t leave until well after six.  I usually work through my lunch and breaks. I’m usually home about five thirty in time to catch the nightly news and have dinner with the family. I’m playing with baby boy and I’m interacting with the rest of the family. I’m talking to my Mom and making sure she’s okay. After dinner and the family time I’m back to the computer. It’s about seven thirty in the evening. But by then my eyes are heavy and I’m beginning to wind down. I have to get my clothes and lunch ready for work the next day. I’m out like a blown bulb by eight.

Throughout the day I’m doing my best to juggle my commitment to family (immediate and extended), to my job, to my health, to my spirituality, and to my community. I do my best to keep abreast of current events and to help others understand what is happening in the community, the country, and the world. I think I have a unique interpretation of what is happening to us and by us.

I am thrilled to have this blog. It helps me to keep things in perspective and to remember that there is a lot more to this thing we call community than just our personal wants and desires. And community is more than just the people. Community includes the environment, history, spirituality, the future, the possibilities, and everything in between. Now that I actually have the ability to provide for my family I can actually clear my mind of daily worries. It really is good to be part of the working again.