This is the first morning that I have felt half way awake since I woke up on Saturday afternoon b/c I then left Saturday night to work a shift from 6pm Saturday night until 2pm Sunday with an Alzhiemers client. When I arrived her, there was a new shift person that was there for the first time and it had made her extremely nervous and frustrated. I managed to settle her down that evening and she awoke refreshed and rearing to go, while I awoke with a backache from hell b/c I had slept on the wooden futon bed all wrong.
It took me a while to get moving and she hopped in and out of the room I was several times asking me what was the agenda today. Finally, I got her engaged in the Joel Olsteen preacher from Lakewood Church in Houston TX on the television. I told her that he was a powerful speaker and she sat and listened with great intensity. He spoke about frustrations and not letting people get under your skin and get the best of you -- in another words, not to let other people steal your joy. This was poignant for her....
as well as for me (for what had happened earlier this past week and what is about to happen this week).
We both went forward into the day with a great attitude and went to have breakfast at an Austin tradition hole in the wall place, then tried to go to the LBJ Wildflower park (but we ended up being there an hour too early) then window shopping for a bit before we headed back home. While we were back home she relaxed reading the NY Times Newspaper and a book about Elvis Pressely. She became recharged and we headed to the local Dairy Queen to find a sign outside the door over a trashcan stating "Bad Attitudes Here" with an arrow directed towards the trashcan. We laughed about the irony of it -- especially after the Joel Olsteen sermon about the joy and marched into the Dairy Queen saying "No one is going to steal my Joy!" and ordered some delicious waffle sundaes. (BTW, did you know that the first Dairy Queen was actually in Canada??? That was something that I hadn't known before.)
At any rate, I went from her home to my home to sleep for a few hours before heading into an overnight shift. Getting off Monday morning, I was still exhausted because I hadn't caught up on my sleep yet. Today, though, even after working last night on another overnight shift, I am feeling recharged (at least, for the moment...lol...).
On the desk I share with another employee at the hotline, I tore off the 7th quote of the day off of the 2008 calendar and revealed the 8th. Today's message was -- "There's nothing noble in being superior to someone else. The one mobility is in being superior to your previous self." -- a Hindu proverb. That is, indeed, so very true.
Today, the supervisors are meeting to decide about who is to get the permanent overnight shift (you see I have been working as a relief for the past 5 years) that is open. Myself and two others applied. One is disqualified from applying because she hasn't been there long enough to transfer to another shift; the other one would not be a good choice because she has argued with the employees on the overnight shift in the past. Hopefully, the logical choice will be me. Even the overnight shift folks are all rooting for me.
But that has no effect on the rhyme or reason of the supervisor staff. We'll see.
All I know is that I am better today that I was yesterday -- no matter their decision and choice -- and, no one can still my joy. My real joy isn't whether I am working PT or FT; my real joy is being able to be the best advocate that I know myself to be.
Of course, I am going to have to remind myself to think positive. My coworkers have already planned to order out for our meals tonight. We'll see and hope that that might be in celebration that I am "in" for the FT position.
No harm in keeping my fingers crossed for the best though, right?
Any prayers would be appreciated....as I really need the FT work income wise, which will allow me the opportunity to not work for 2 employers quite to the extent that I have been.
At any rate, please remember that there is no stealing the joy!!!
:D
