Despite being at home with sick and whiny children, noses laden with thick, green mucus, I felt a sense of accomplishment more than once. And not in the typical housemom-all-the-laundry-is-folded sense. Get this: it was through good conversation (shocking, I know! Me? Chatting?). With people. Neither of them wore diapers or asked me to blow on their food to cool it down.
First, a friend asked me to read through an email before sending it off to prevent regrets. I totally get this and wish I would initiate a similar policy for at least 3/4 of the emails I compose or conversations I have. I’m sure there were others more adept in corporate culture that could’ve been asked, and perhaps they would have offered different advice. So I’m hopeful that I pointed him in the right direction.
Then, I enjoyed naptime in conversation with one of my favorite young people, discussing the pros, cons and everything in between about selecting an appropriate major in light of career aspirations. It was a delightful time, mostly filled with me asking a bunch of questions and her even having real answers. She knows what she wants to do, and now she’s figuring out how to get there.
I’m more often asking myself what I want to be when I grow up. My job is a good one for our current situation, my employer is good to me and my work has enough challenges to make it satisfying. But never having been a “career gal”, I flounder a bit in the area of living out calling. Mostly because I wrongly believe that my vocation and my place of employment must be synonymous. Silly girl.
Nope, I think my place in this life is to have a lot of conversations. To listen (better than what I do, I must add. Perhaps this will make the list for 2012). To ask questions. To even weigh in with an opinion when invited (because when people ask, they really are looking for more than just questions. But don’t jump there too fast).
Excuse me while I find that in a job description on Monster.
Ahhhhh yes, vocation and place of employment. What a struggle it is? I think “Professional Questioner and Listener” would look stunning on a business card!
Thanks for sharing your writing! It is quite lovely.