Musings
So I haven't posted in forever yet again. This seems to be a trend I'm not good at breaking, but I'm really going to try now that a new semester is starting and there'll likely be more to talk about.
The other day, my mom had on some show with this woman named Christiane Northrup talking. She specializes in women's health and said some pretty lifting things. She also talked about the tendency to go negative, and to tune into "Worthless Woman 101.9," as she called it. And I must say I hadn't really given that much thought before. From now on, I plan to make sure I don't spend my time tuned to it.
She also noted that it wasn't just women, it was our society in general; it's so much easier to go negative than positive. And I thought about the amazing women I've worked with this summer who deal with so much shit from their managers yet they still come back day after day because they need a job, they know how to do this job, they know the people there.
Most of the shit that goes down isn't their fault, it's the guys above them making changes to orders and screwing up the production schedule/hot stamps/serial numbers/something. They don't even tell them they've made a change half the time. And then they expect our ladies to fix what ever fuck ups they've caused and, oh while your at it, could you fax this for me/write this letter/do something for me that I really should be doing but feel like making you, my secretary-for-the-day, do anyway?
I've asked myself so many times, "Why the hell can't everyone just do their job? There wouldn't be this many problems if they did, can't they see that?" I still don't have an answer. I don't understand why they don't feel this need to do their job and do it well, to do their part; I know I do. I know my ladies do. These managers above them are certainly getting paid more but they don't seem to be doing anything that warrants that to me. I don't really know all that they do, and I'm sure there are things that justify their substantially higher pay, but half the time they're not doing things they should be and interfering with things they shouldn't. They don't seem to see that they're at fault for so many of the problems that come up.
And having been working again with these wonderful women for the last few months, I'm saddened to be leaving, yet somewhat glad for the return to school. I'm also more worried than I think I ever was about entering the workforce at some point within the next few years. Seeing the shit they have to deal with, how stressed they get over it... I don't want my life to be like that. They're mostly happy but I can tell they get so frustrated with the way things are at work.
And I mean, I really don't know what I want to do. They say you should do something you're passionate about. Well, I'm passionate about Japanese... but that doesn't exactly make the jobs pile up at my feet. I don't have any special skills really. Maybe I'm tuned into that negative station right now, but it's not like I can run a company or balance books or repair stuff or some other skill for which employers hire people. I can speak and read SOME Japanese. That's about it.
And more and more I'm asking myself what the hell am I going to do with this? I know I want to be in Japan... but I don't want to leave everyone here behind. And being in Japan is basically assuming JET will take me, which I'm very scared they won't as they become more and more selective.
Yet despite all these worries and questions, I can't help but feel most of the time that things are going to work out. I have no real reason to think that I suppose, but I do. Somehow, someway, it's going to fall into place. I hope.
I had a goal, I think, when I first started typing this entry, but I think I've lost it now ^^;; That was a bit more.... down than I intended it to be at first. But I suppose I needed to get that out.
Well, I guess I'll end here and come back when something else strikes me.
The other day, my mom had on some show with this woman named Christiane Northrup talking. She specializes in women's health and said some pretty lifting things. She also talked about the tendency to go negative, and to tune into "Worthless Woman 101.9," as she called it. And I must say I hadn't really given that much thought before. From now on, I plan to make sure I don't spend my time tuned to it.
She also noted that it wasn't just women, it was our society in general; it's so much easier to go negative than positive. And I thought about the amazing women I've worked with this summer who deal with so much shit from their managers yet they still come back day after day because they need a job, they know how to do this job, they know the people there.
Most of the shit that goes down isn't their fault, it's the guys above them making changes to orders and screwing up the production schedule/hot stamps/serial numbers/something. They don't even tell them they've made a change half the time. And then they expect our ladies to fix what ever fuck ups they've caused and, oh while your at it, could you fax this for me/write this letter/do something for me that I really should be doing but feel like making you, my secretary-for-the-day, do anyway?
I've asked myself so many times, "Why the hell can't everyone just do their job? There wouldn't be this many problems if they did, can't they see that?" I still don't have an answer. I don't understand why they don't feel this need to do their job and do it well, to do their part; I know I do. I know my ladies do. These managers above them are certainly getting paid more but they don't seem to be doing anything that warrants that to me. I don't really know all that they do, and I'm sure there are things that justify their substantially higher pay, but half the time they're not doing things they should be and interfering with things they shouldn't. They don't seem to see that they're at fault for so many of the problems that come up.
And having been working again with these wonderful women for the last few months, I'm saddened to be leaving, yet somewhat glad for the return to school. I'm also more worried than I think I ever was about entering the workforce at some point within the next few years. Seeing the shit they have to deal with, how stressed they get over it... I don't want my life to be like that. They're mostly happy but I can tell they get so frustrated with the way things are at work.
And I mean, I really don't know what I want to do. They say you should do something you're passionate about. Well, I'm passionate about Japanese... but that doesn't exactly make the jobs pile up at my feet. I don't have any special skills really. Maybe I'm tuned into that negative station right now, but it's not like I can run a company or balance books or repair stuff or some other skill for which employers hire people. I can speak and read SOME Japanese. That's about it.
And more and more I'm asking myself what the hell am I going to do with this? I know I want to be in Japan... but I don't want to leave everyone here behind. And being in Japan is basically assuming JET will take me, which I'm very scared they won't as they become more and more selective.
Yet despite all these worries and questions, I can't help but feel most of the time that things are going to work out. I have no real reason to think that I suppose, but I do. Somehow, someway, it's going to fall into place. I hope.
I had a goal, I think, when I first started typing this entry, but I think I've lost it now ^^;; That was a bit more.... down than I intended it to be at first. But I suppose I needed to get that out.
Well, I guess I'll end here and come back when something else strikes me.