Sunday, March 22, 2009

The Stroke, Strikes Back

It has been a rough couple of weeks for me. Not that it is really serious or even eventful, but life is like that. I have been caught up in some stuff. Again it really is not all that much, but when it is happening to you, it is a big deal. All I can do is put it behind me, and maybe everything will be ok.

It has to do with work, and by in large I do not comment on work in my blog. So you'll either figure it out, or not. What was a big deal, turns out to not be such a big deal, or maybe it is... honestly, I don't know. But it has caused me to re-evaluate everything. A lot of this stems from me having a stroke and whether or not I can still function in the workplace. I can, but am I as good as I used to be? No not really. But how good do you need to be? Well that is a question that remains open to everyone. I don't think I need to be 100% to do my job. How much management or people in charge think that you need to give 110% is also open for debate. Not that I won't give 100 or even 110% of whatever I am now, because I will, but if you compare that with me pre-stroke well, it won't be the same.

So all there is to do now is tread lightly and keep my nose clean and try my absolute hardest to make things work. So I might not be online as much. We'll see...

3 comments:

WileyCoyote said...

I was afraid of that.

Once the whole support of "Of COURSE we'll hold your job for you! Of COURSE we love you and want you back!" passes, all too often employers start to think "Y'know, Joe isn't the same. Do we REALLY think he is doing all he can/should in the job? Y'know, it might be better - for HIM, of course - to let him go." It happens with most cataclysmic events in the employee's life; divorce, loss of child or spouse, devastating illness or accident. It's part of the pink monkey syndrome - those who are not like us must be eliminated from the group. Of course attorneys advise against firing the "come-back kidz" right away, so that employees are not held liable for 'further punishing' the victims of a bad occurance. But, later...

They did it to DH, too. He had to make a decision. Good luck. It isn't pleasant no matter which way you go.

Mad Hatter said...

Yeah, I'm really not sure what I'm going to do, but if I opt to work for someone else, I'll have to move. Which is kind of hard given the whole housing situation. I really just don't know.

Bob G. said...

I had a buddy boned over by the "suits" the same way...
ANd that was only after 6 months of recovery and rehab (for his fractured femur).

It's happened to us all in some fashion...it's the "excuses" the bigwigs dream up that always tick me off.

We're ALL getting older, and that affects performance to some degree, stroke or not.

Employers are no longer the bastions of retirement and "family" that our fathers recall.
Everyone is materiel...or an asset (like a bloody stapler).
That REALLY ticks me off.

Wiley's got it right.
If there is a better recourse, I'd say become SELF-employed, but that's not an easy road to hoe, nor is it financially viable to many folks.

Just be the best YOU can be, regardless.
Take stock in knowing YOU are doing ALL you can, the BEST you can, and if they don't like it, it will be THEIR loss a lot more than yours.
And for goodness sake, take YOUR knowledge with you...never leave it for the "next person".

Sometimes, what's required is not a STEP of faith...but that LEAP we hear about.

Trust in yourself.
After all, you spend more time with you than anyone else, right?