Greener Pastures?

We've all been through it, drama and politics in the workplace.  Try as you might, there's just no escape from who-you-know politics and talentless supervisors, afraid of anyone that might shine a light on their true ineptitude.

I made many moves in my 20+ year career.  I've always been in search of the elusive greener grass.  But, each time I changed jobs, I only found more of the same...
You might be stuck with a complete idiot of a supervisor, who only got to their current position because of their [ahem] oral talents.  And, this person is so afraid of anyone that displays a shred of talent in their job that they go out of their way to keep you from progressing in your career.
Or, you get the supervisor who has been with the company for 3,000 years.  They are a supervisor simply because they have stuck around and managed not to be fired or die.  They have no supervisory or social skills whatsoever.  They are usually lazy, bitter, and just want their next paycheck...so don't bother them with any of your newfangled ideas.  These are super fun supervisors to have!
Or, you might have the good fortune to be stuck with the over-achieving-golden-boy (or girl), who never sees anything you do as good enough.  "I'd love to give you a raise or promotion, but I really don't feel you've gone above and beyond this period.  If only you'd come in on a Sunday and re-painted the entire building and re-paved the sidewalk, that would have shown me that you are truly committed and deserve this".
BITE ME! I deserve a raise and promotion because I have to deal with your idiotic bullshit day in and day out!

Currently, I find myself (once again) in the position of do I stay or do I go?  Truth be told, my current situation is not as bad as anything I've been through in the past.  But, there is a definite under-appreciation of my contributions.  And, being shunned in a recent "reorganization" has not helped improve my state of mind.
Do I risk changing jobs...where I may move into a much worse situation?  Or, do I stay at my current job and just continue trudging forward with no prospects of career advancement?  Is the safe bet the best bet?  This is my dilemma.
I just want to work someplace where I am appreciated, rewarded, and PROMOTED for doing good work.

Is that too much to ask?  I guess I'll have to brush up on my [ahem] oral skills.

Smells like team spirit

This will be a quick one...
I went to the University of South Carolina...the gamecocks.  Go cocks!  Appropriate for me huh?
At any rate, when I was in college, I was in the Carolina marching band.  But, I never really cared about sports or how a team was faring in their season.  Truth be told, throughout my college years, none of the teams did anything worth crowing about.
But, now, the gamecock football team is actually doing very well!  This past weekend, they beat Alabama, the number one ranked team in the country.
Why, after all these years, do I finally care?  Am I a fair weather fan...only caring and cheering when the team is winning?  Perhaps.
But, the way I look at it, I paid a whole lot of money in tuition fees to see a team choke time after time.  So, finally, I get to cheer the way I wanted to while I was in college.  I just wish I was still immature and Tiffany, Lil, Lisa, and my frat brothers were still around to party with me...ha ha.
Honestly, I never really cared about my college football team until this year.  So, if that makes me a fair weather fan, so be it.
All I can say at this time is....GO COCKS!  FIGHT!  WIN!!

Great Expectations

I hate meetings!
I work in a place that is in meeting overload.
We need a new basketball goal...let's form a committee and have a meeting to discuss this.  We need more bottled water...let's form a committee and discuss our options.  It is complete and utter madness!
So, when I was informed that I needed to attend a 3-day conference in Louisville, KY this past week, as you can imagine I was less than enthusiastic.  If given the choice of a 3-day work conference or 3 days of explosive, emotionally crippling diarrhea, I believe I'd choose the diarrhea.

When I arrived, of course I was filled with dread.  There were 80 people in the room and we were all assigned seats at a table with 8 other people from other facilities across the country.  I was in hell.
We were informed that the people at your table were going to be your "family" for the remainder of the conference.  I wondered if I could spend the entire conference in a state of advanced drunkenness...possibly.

But, honestly, this past week was a fantastic, motivating experience!  The people in my "family" were some of the most interesting and inspiring people I've ever met.  They made me realize that even though things might be crazy back home, there is always a light of inspiration waiting to be discovered...sometimes  in the most unlikely places.  I will remember these people forever and, hopefully, I will remain in contact with them for many years to come.

The moral of the story...always be open to try something new, even if it is work related.

And, yes, there were states of advanced drunkenness.  But, it was a family affair in Louisville.  I can't wait for a family reunion.

The International Language

I live in a wonderful neighborhood in Chicago called Rogers Park.
It has been called one of the most culturally diverse neighborhoods in the entire United States.  So, obviously there are many different cultures and peoples running around this area of Chicago.
On the one hand, it makes my neighborhood an exciting and interesting place to live...with the small ethnic restaurants that serve fantastic food to the little mom and pop stores that sell international jewelry and wares, it always makes for a fun weekend.

But, and I know many people are going to think I'm insensitive and hypocritical, I wish everyone would just SPEAK ENGLISH!

I mean really, you're going to come to the United States to live and open a business, but you don't or won't learn the native language of the country?  REALLY?  I think 6 months to a year after someone moves to this country, they should be required to take an exam...written and oral on the english language.
If you pass, great!  Welcome to America!  If you fail, get your foreign ass back on the boat!  And, don't come back until you can hold a conversation...IN ENGLISH!
(Broken English may be accepted...but it will be on a case by case basis.  So, it would help if you were really cute).

I realize I'm ranting.  But, it really infuriates when I call my favorite Chinese restaurant to deliver dinner and the person on the phone cannot speak a lick of english...how on earth are you going to take my order?

I've often thought it would be super funny to get a t-shirt made that simply said, in HUGE letters, SPEAK ENGLISH!...and wear it all over Chicago.  If I knew I wouldn't get shot, I probably would have done it already.

Life's little moments

We all have those embarrassing moments in life that we'd like to forget.  Like many folks, I feel that I've had more than my fair share of embarrassing moments and fuck-ups.  Luckily, the vast majority of those moments happened WAY back in my high school and college years.  I have been fortunate enough to keep the embarrassing moments in my adult life to a minimum.

But, why is it that when you least expect it, a memory of one of those less-than-stellar moments creeps into your head?

It never fails...I'm having a great day; the outfit is working; If I had hair, the hair would be FIERCE; the wit and charm is off the chart; I'm flirting and schmoozing; no gas or bloating...THIS DAY ROCKS!
Then, you let your mind wander for just a second, and the memory of one of those embarrassing moments pops into your head....W T F!

Is this nature's way of keeping your attitude in check?  Does the universe have a way of keeping us in line and not getting "too big for our britches"?  Perhaps...or maybe I'm just being overly analytic.

But, none of those pesky, embarrassing memories from high school or college enter my head when I'm having a shitty day...just sayin'

Rude is the new black

I was on the bus yesterday, enjoying the beautiful Chicago weather and having a peaceful commute.  
An elderly asian woman boarded the bus with a younger girl, possibly in her 20's.
The elderly lady inserted her transit card and proceeded toward the back of the bus, where I was sitting.  The younger girl yelled from the front of the bus "Grandma, they don't take day-passes so I need your transit card".  The older lady returned to the front of the bus and swiped her card a second time, allowing her granddaughter to ride the bus.
When they sat down behind me, the younger girl launched into a barrage of insults toward the elderly woman...
"I can't believe you are such a dumbass grandma!"  "How can you not know that they don't take day-passes in your own goddamn city!"  "I can't believe you are so fucking stupid."
This continued for several minutes.  
But, the grandmother simply stared forward and never acknowledged what her granddaughter was saying.
I was amazed at the way this little girl was speaking to her elder, a member of her own family!  Where on earth did she get off?!
Now, when I was growing up in rural South Carolina, if I had ever uttered something even remotely similar to my grandmother I would have been beaten senseless...and then beaten again even harder!


I entertained a thought for just a moment...what would this little bitch think if I had stood up, turned to face her, and slapped her so hard that she landed on the bus floor...then I would say "That's from your grandmother, you ungrateful skank!"


The thought brought a smile to my face...still does.  


And no one, including myself, came to the aid of the grandmother.  We all just quietly sat and listened to the disrespect...not wanting to cause a scene.
But, it made me realize that this is more commonplace than we'd like to think.  People have developed such a sense of entitlement that they feel it is acceptable to be rude to everyone...even their own family.  


Have we all become so numb to the amount of rudeness we experience everyday that we simply accept it?  
Maybe we have.  But, that color doesn't look good on me.