Satisfaction

Hi ho! - I'm posting from my old office, which is a bit of a time warp, since I haven't worked here for about three years. By sheer, unadulterated coincidence, I happen to be here on one of the few days a year that I used to make certain not to miss... The Tax Day Party - its like "Accountants Gone Wild!" - which means: Blend up a few fresh strawberry margaritas (heavy on the Cuervo) , slap a few lunch meats together (ohh... that sounds just a bit dirty, doesn't it?) and stand around and make small talk. So far today I've assembled office furniture (pre and post margarita) answered the phone about fifty times, made a bunch of calls, and heard a few snippets of office gossip.

The one thing that stands out in stark relief in my mind is this: I love(d) working with these people, but I surely do not miss sitting under florescent lights all day, tapping data into a keyboard, clamped to a multi-line phone system. As hard as I worked for five-plus years, the work either went largely unnoticed, came undone, or was all to the end of saving someone money. None of these things made my old clients very happy, since the end result was still the same: Pay money for an intangible item that will only work for you if something bad happens.

These days, things are so much more positive and "up" in general - I can't help but feel that at the end of the day (night, most times) I've made a difference to someone. That in and of itself is a really wonderful feeling. Even without a health plan or a margarita, I wouldn't trade it for the world. So what makes you feel really good about your job?
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Satisfaction, Part Two: My weekend went as follows:
1. Attend/DJ friends' fifteen-year anniversary party (sangria started about four-thirty) with S. By the way, if any of you will be having a party/wedding/get-together any time soon and would like a great DJ, I hereby declare my husband to be On the Market. People seem to really enjoy what he plays for them.

2. Despite directing conversation away from any family/child related topics, be either repeatedly Wombushed!* or asked The Question about, oh, fifty times. Grit teeth, smile, refill drink, repeat. Queries are followed up with extensive rhapsodies about the Joys of Family and How We Wouldn't Change a THING!" (Make concerted effort not to snort, roll eyes, or smash glass on countertop and challenge the next person to a duel if they continue on in this line of interogation.)

3. Retreat to hallway toilet, grit teeth, swallow tears, reapply makeup, compliment self on perky, child-free bits and lifestyle. See step 2, repeat several more times. Curse universe for making you a magnet for this kind of interogation/conversation, even when you are discussing landscaping, anniversary gifts, the price of gas, or global warming. Call friend on cell phone and murmur gently but firmly, "getmeoutofhereNOW!"

4. Visit local watering hole with friends, find someone's cell phone. Call this person, discover that the phone is a work phone, offer to deliver phone up the street as you are headed that way and it really is No Trouble.

5. Meet happy (nay, estatic) boss of person who misplaced phone. Recieve effusive compliments on Good Citizenship, also complimentary margarita for you and all your friends. Discover that Bossman is the owner of a company who you've already referred clients to. Exchange business cards, chat, and go home feeling much, much better. Get a phone call begging for your information a day or so later, do Dance of Joy and Potential Referrals to husbands' great amusement.

6. Have first chemical peel Sunday night. Enjoy strange heated feeling, resulting skin tightness, troll-like fear/avoidance of sunlight. Now that's what I call satisfaction!

File Under: lists, thinking