PlazaJen: Passion Knit

I am on vacation this week, it has been quite wonderful, very mellow, but with fun things dotting the calendar, just about every day. I've gotten a little bit done, not loads, but again, it's vacation, and all the other days get spent scurrying & racing so it's been nice to feel like things are moving more on Jamaican time than BusyBee time.

What does astound me, out there in the world that IS working this week, is just how much people don't listen. Before I left work, it took me three tries, but I recorded a voicemail greeting that stated I was on vacation & returning on July 11th. They could leave me a voicemail, or if it was hair-on-fire urgent, they could press "0" and talk to the extremely capable & efficient Kristin.

Now, I said I was gonna do it, that-which-violates-the-code-of-vacation, and I have. I have downloaded email remotely & listened to my voicemails. And I am stunned at just how many people leave me a message AS THOUGH I AM IN THE OFFICE and one person even mentioned that they were going to call back and page me. Huh. Wonder how well that worked for them? Fortunately the person who answers our phones is always patient, waiting instead until she is far from the phone to emit a disillusioned, eye-rolling sigh of exasperation. But I was reminded again, of how I will sometimes say to James, "LISTEN WITH YOUR EARS" which with him is more for a humorous effect, but still, it fits in this situation. These people are going so fast, wanting to get everything done whack-a-mole style, go, go go go GO GO GO that they're not hearing information.

I guess it means everyone could probably use a little slowing down. Even if you don't think you do, give it a try. Just listen & breathe & let some of it go. Unless you've got your hands in someone's chest cavity, trying to save their life? Most of this stuff you & I do each day is not critical or crucial, we've just artificially made it that way, and every year it feels like we crank the ratchet handle just a little tighter, but it doesn't make life better, it just makes life tighter. It doesn't mean our work isn't worthwhile, I just think we'd all do a better job at it if we didn't have a cell phone in one ear, a work phone in another, one hand typing an email while the other spills Diet Coke all over the desk.....