Wednesday - Open House Night and Choir
There is a phrase going around right now that is challenging me, but that is pretty relevant to how I am feeling about things - "quiet quitting." First of all, I do not like the phrase because I do not think that it accurately reflects what it means. It means that people are only working the hours that they are paid for and are only doing things on their job descriptions. Second of all, I think that things are coming to yet another turning point. This pandemic has made it obvious that many of us do not need to be in the office in order to do our jobs, and I think that workers have decided that our lives outside of our work are more important than giving everything to our job. Anyway, I am the type of person who goes in early and leaves late. I look for ways to enrich the lives of my clients outside of music therapy. I try to be a good employee, but then...
I would rather that we use the term, "healthy work-life boundaries" rather than the "quiet quitting" farce. I am not quitting by deciding that I will work only what my supervisors tell me to do directly. I am not quitting because I am still showing up every day. I am still showing up for 45 hours a week (because of my intern needs - 8.5 hour days make my internship a seven month internship rather than a nine month internship). I am still trying to make the lives my clients better, but I am not willing to give more to my job than I am expected to do.
I found out that we have a music event happening at my facility. The marketing department has requested my presence and gushing over the performer. The performance is on a Sunday. They are going to be disappointed when I decline. I do not work on Sundays, and, with the recent revelation that I have to use personal time to accommodate an inservice schedule that does not work with me and my other jobs (even though I have requested accommodations and received those accommodations for many years), I am disinclined to acquiesce to their request. There is no financial benefit for me to drive down to my job to suck up to the performer on my weekend. I would have to leave my other paid job in order to get there in time. I refuse to lose money from a guaranteed job for a job where I am not feeling valued as a professional... or even a person.
There will be no command performance from me.
It is almost the time that I usually leave to go to work. I am taking my time this morning since we are scheduled for an 8-8 day. I am not going in at 7 and then have to use my personal time when no one else has to do the same. What a mess!
Okay. If you can't tell, I woke up with a headache this morning. I've been doing that more often than not these days - I looked up my nerve medication and this is a common side effect, so I'm not too worried about it, but it is no fun anyway. I will get something to eat and then head to work in the daylight rather than in the dawn. I have to get gas for my little car before I go too far. I promise that I am in a better mood than this post indicates. I really am. This isn't the first frustrating situation that I have been in at this facility, and it will not be the last. I can handle it. I have been through four principals, three executive directors, one grievance claim through the district, and (I think) five superintendents, so I can get through all of this as well. This, too, will pass.
On a happier note, I have spent some more time this week interacting with students in individual music therapy. Kids have been happy to be with me and with my interns in music therapy sessions as well. We have had fun playing with the parachute. We have played games with our post-graduate group. My individual clients are trying to go to music therapy all the time - anytime I am in the hallway, I have people trying to go to music with me. It is such an uplifting experience to have kids trying to get more music into their lives. It makes all the administration crap that happens a bit more worth it!
The rest of this week is pretty easy. Once I get through today, I will have only six groups to see in two days. I also do not have as many individuals as I do on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I think I have two individuals on Thursday and none on Friday. I am looking forward to some time to create things for my clients. I have almost finished my first activity for another class. I learned how to use the large laminator that we have at work. I am waiting for the materials that I have requested to get things moving. It's been about a month. I'm not sure that the materials were actually ordered. I will check up on that tomorrow. I need a bit of time to write an email that doesn't come across as snarky...
I am tired. I am medicated. I am snarky, and I embrace that fact as an essential part of me. I am getting ready to head out to a job where my hard work is not often recognized or realized. I am getting ready to go be around kids who love music and who make my job worthwhile. I am getting ready to eat something that is only a little bit healthy before I end up going to school. I will clean my office while sitting in an empty room during Open House, but that's the way Open House's happen at my job. We have about five sets of family members arriving, and I think only one will actually come down to my room. That's pretty usual for these "events."
Okay, enough blathering. See you tomorrow.
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