- I have to remember that as much as I hate and fear TALKING to people, it’s actually very rewarding. Almost every time I interview someone I fall a little bit in love with them. People are awesome. At least, people who love what they do are awesome, whatever that happens to be, and talking to them is hugely energising.
- Still getting a huge kick out of going into the city twice a week. Even though I have to run home at the end of the day, just being there is so stimulating. And taking lunchtime walks. There’s always something to see. Cities are awesome. Cities are where people come together to do stuff and make stuff, and that is awesome.
- Also getting a huge kick out of meeting grownups and connecting with people about stuff that isn’t kids. Although I make a point of talking about kids quite a lot, actually. It freaks me out that co-workers largely don’t talk about their kids, and this is especially true of new moms. I mean. These women are dealing with an unbelievably overwhelming life change (and are almost certainly under enormous strain) and yet there seems to be this blanket silence? No. Screw that. Let’s talk.
- I have a lot of time to talk, because at new job, things are quiet right now. That’s partly a natural slump, and partly because I’m new and haven’t yet found my own projects. Getting started on one or two. But I’m very much out of my comfort zone on at least two fronts: one, it’s the whole corporate thing; a lot of the work is kind of meta – figuring out ways to do the work better, or selling the work to internal clients… it’s not actually producing anything. Which, coming from a journalism background, is weird. And then there’s the pace. Again, as a subeditor, I’m used to slumps and crunches, but when the crunch is on, you HUSTLE. And that’s my big strength. I am the fastest sub in the West. Now, I have to learn to take time over things. Like… a lot of time. Like… first you research the thing (slowly), then you write the thing, then you polish the thing, then you think about it and polish it some more, then you get some feedback, then you go back to it and polish some more and add some stuff or maybe take stuff away and you get more feedback and… I mean. The newspaper went to press freaking WEEKS ago already.
So I’m taking a lot of coffee breaks. And getting twitchy. Even though it’s decaf. - Separately: literally the only thing I have made any headway on from my Big 2018 Project List – other than, well, employment – is getting the kids more involved in tidying up. Yes, yes, I know, should have happened years ago, etc. I mean we have tried. But now I’m trying more consistently and with more structure and it’s actually paying off. I mean, obviously it’s ridiculously exhausting and just doing everything myself would be quite a lot faster and easier. But still. They’re doing more, doing it better and with less fuss, and we’re achieving a noticeable improvement in The State of Things. I feel quietly pleased with myself. And with the basic fact that kids do actually grow up.
Woolly thoughts (and fuzzy logic)
Sometimes I sits and knits, and sometimes I just sits.
Woolly thoughts (and fuzzy logic) 