ASSOCIATES (2006, November, v. 13, no. 2) - associates.ucr.edu
Carol Borzyskowski
Winona Public Library
Winona, MN
Carolb@selco.info
http://winona.lib.mn.us
I have been home in bed sick for the past two days and when I had a lucid moment I would think about what I wanted to write for my Associates article. That, and this computer game—The DaVinci Code—that I have been playing and the little trails were etched in my brain. I also managed to lose my glasses. I did a run into the library to empty the book bin as we had a three day weekend, and when I came home I put the glasses down and they went away. So now that I am on the mend again and will be going into work tomorrow using my old glasses so I can see to drive, I realize I am behind in writing, have a Fine Arts Commission Meeting where I need to present a plan to have a Poet Laureate for Winona, and I am stuck in level three of the game, and I have to buy new glasses.
All of this brings me to the point and theme of this column: Investing in my future. I think it better be health. I have received several little wake up calls but my food consumption and weight stay up, the stress level stays up, and work is just that WORK! So to invest in my future I need to slow down and finally make a plan, write it down, yeah! I am good at writing, it is the discipline and following through I am not so good at doing.
I have done some things that are good for me. I joined Curves and work out 3-4 times a week. I take my pills when I am supposed to and don’t take any I shouldn’t be taking. I had cut out caffeine completely, but then I started sneaking it back in lately because it just makes me feel so good. But it also makes my heart race and that isn’t good for the health.
See, my most of my health issues (except for the nasty flu I just survived) I can control. Job issues are pretty much out of my hands and as I lay there thinking I was dying I realized that my home and family were more important to my future life and happiness than if I was getting all the respect and recognition I feel I deserve at work. I imagine I will get a bit of recognition for being gone two days and leaving all the ILL’s to everyone else. I also know they split my job up 3-4 ways when I am not there!
The union I am a member of has a rule of 90. That means when I add my years of service and my age and they total ninety (and gads does that seem like a lot!) I can retire. So I figured it out that I can retire in seven more years with full benefits. So I am going to use the next seven years to invest wisely in my health, and spend more time loving and caring for my family than complaining about job issues. I really want to be around to see my grandchildren graduate and then start families of their own. I want to sit at our kitchen table and discuss the days events with my husband and tell funny stories, and I want to be healthy enough to enjoy activities with my brothers and sisters who all seem to be some sort of sport freaks, which is really strange, but mom says I am really hers.
Meanwhile back at work I will just do my job whatever it has become and try to enjoy the people I work with instead of wondering why they seem to be getting “perks” that I am not. In fact, maybe just a nice change in attitude will make all the difference needed to make me happy. I realized that as much as I honestly do like working in the library it isn’t a holy calling to me, it is a job. And it isn’t all of me, but just part of me. I am working on some new things and managing to squeeze them in, like revamping our entire web site, and serving on the Fine Arts Commission, so I won’t be bored by any means, and the next seven years should go quickly. Now I just to make out that list and get more active in my own future. Maybe a walk every day instead of sitting down and eating lunch? Wish me well, and I hope you all invest wisely in your own futures.