Woeful Wednesday - My Body Hurts and I Gave Up 2/3 of My Storage for the "Good of the Team"

I didn't run any music therapy sessions yesterday because I moved my intern and myself and all my junk into the storage closet. You see, some short-sighted administrators (who have all left under mysterious circumstances now) decided that we didn't need any extra office space in the education area and gave that away to the clinical team and now we need that office space back but every single nook and cranny is full to the brim of stuff, including my room, but since I have three separate storage areas (2 offices and the closet which I only spread things into in January), I was expected to be a "team player" and allow people to be constantly tramping through my music therapy sessions for the "good of the team."

Now, I have lived with the "people tramping through" situation for several years, and I HATE IT! I decided to make things fall the way I wanted them to fall.

I approached my new principal (not one of the short-sighted) and told him that I knew that we needed more office space and that I knew that my closet was being considered. Instead of the closet, I suggested my two offices for the team that I knew was going to be moving in with me. Fortunately, he listened to my idea and my reasons for not wanting them to be tramping through my life and agreed that we could get that done. Yesterday was the official day for moving, so I did.

It took me three hours to get everything out of my closet and out of my office that I needed to move. I still don't have the additional storage (which I got rid of in January because I was told that I would not need it again...ever!) so there are some instruments sitting out in the room that I do not want sitting out most of the time. I purchased a drum set cover so I can keep the set out a bit more rather than keeping it in the closet (which I LOVED, by the way). There just isn't the space for the set and the piano with two of us working in there. I have given up a desk for myself in order to make things fit. I now have a cabinet with all of my personal stuff in it and will share the work area with interns who need access to the computer for documentation and other things as well. 

Anyway, three hours. Once everything was out of both of the offices, my intern swept and vacuumed those spaces, and I started sorting materials into "need here" and "take home" and "throw away" categories. I am proud of myself for throwing away one cheap bookshelf, 17 loads of stuff and old papers, and lots of stray pieces of things. I threw away several of the educational resource materials that my facility spent a fortune printing out for us that we have never referred to again. I went through things and put them into their new locations. I also kept a bunch of visual aids that have no permanent home, some books and resources, and some novel instruments. While we were sorting and moving and throwing things out, I also made a list of what I put in which cabinet so I could keep track of where the new locations for specific things were. One of my better brainstorms, if I say so myself, because it happened BEFORE I started putting things away rather than halfway through the process.

Today, however, I am hurting. I can barely move. My regular doses of Tylenol and massage have not helped at all, and I just can't seem to get enough energy to get ready for work. I think I will not go in today. Perhaps by not having music therapy again today, the other people who need to move can just move in and get their part finished without interrupting music therapy sessions. That's my justification.

I am not all that chuffed about giving up my space. I mean, would I rather have all three storage areas to myself? Of course, but I know the realities of life and my tenure at this facility has included being a team member and giving up lots of what I wanted because I am not the most important person on the team. In fact, when it comes to our education of our clients, I am not an important person at all - that's another story and one that I don't really get all that upset about either; sometimes it sticks in my craw, but not today. So, I am lucky that I still have a space to do music therapy. That space will be changing, but I still have a space. I have to remember that fact. At several times over the years at this facility, I haven't had a space at all!! I've also had to play real-life Tetris to get all my stuff into several really small storage areas including the one that I just moved back into! So, having a long perspective helps with this latest change.

I just called into work and to my intern in hopes that they get the message that I am staying home, taking the heavy-duty medications, and resting my aching joints before heading to work. I've asked my intern to work from home as well since I do not want her to be used in ways that are not part of her volunteer position (which she will because she is a good person who likes to help but shouldn't due to her volunteer position but who wants to do it anyway). She has plenty of options to keep her occupied. I'll be doing my own work here - I have an intern acceptance faculty letter to write and lots of visual aids to sort through and find homes for - things that I can do while using my creams and arthritis stuff while not weight bearing for a bit. 

I hope I remember to walk into the closet on Thursday rather than going to my old office in the morning. It will take a bit of time to get into the habit, but I can do it, I am sure...for the good of the team.