Happy Valentine's Day My Dear Readers,
What has Patti been up to this last month you may be wondering to yourselves? Not much actually. It has been cold and snowy where I live and I have dreaded the times when I have travel scheduled for work.
Overall work has continued to have it's ebbs and flows. One moment I am extremely busy and other times not so much. It can be crisis driven so whenever I get an unexpected phone call from a client I wonder if it's because of a crisis. In general, I feel burnt out from emergency situations and the first thoughts that come into my head when a crisis comes up are "why am I doing this job?" or "I need to find something else that is less of a roller coaster." After much personal/career research I have realized I have a conventional sort of personality that thrives on stability and clear expectations - so why the heck did I get into social work??? The lack of defined policies and constantly changing mandates really drive me up the wall sometimes. But I am still at the same social work job and I will remain here until something better comes along.
Other exciting things in my life include an upcoming move. For some reason or another I seem to move about once a year and usually during my busiest times at work. I am not looking forward to the stress that is coming up with this move but I know it will lead to me being in a more comfortable living situation.
As for educational goals I have taken the lazy woman's approach and decided not to pursue my master's degree in social work. I cannot see pouring more money into my social work education as I don't know if I will remain in this profession long term. Also, the added stress of working all day and completing coursework in the evening and weekends will probably be too much for me. I like to decompress when I get home, although if I did not have to work I could see myself returning to school full time if the right program presented itself.
However, like the title of my post says, it's Valentine's Day and I want to wish all of you dear readers a day filled with compassion, kindness and love. Today is perfect for getting some treats for your co-workers, having a special dinner with family, or having a fun night out on the town with friends. In general, it's a reminder about the special relationships we have in our lives (not just romantic) and the opportunity we have to share our feelings with those people. Or like me, it is about considering romantic possibilities for the future!
As Always,
Patti
