At the risk of quoting a facebook thingy. "Normal is a setting on the wash machine". Do what ya gotta do, to keep both feet on the wheel... er, hands. Yeah, both hands on the wheel.

wow, um. serial post.

So one of my faculty is going on maternity leave in the spring quarter. I just floated a test balloon, asking if I might be considered to help with the teaching load. It's a sticky wicket in the UC system. They don't fancy staff members teaching. But, thought it might be a good idea to see if I like it. Personal growth, etc. Cuz hey, faculty get paid a LOT more than staff, and aren't here all summer. And on campus like 2-3 days per week during the school year. It's a racket I tell ya.

That would be great for you!

omnis, I am not sure I realized that you were strictly staff. I hope they let you teach.

I posted on Facebook that I'm having a bad night tonight. Very lovely, well-meaning people are going to give me heartfelt encouragement that will make me want to punch something. It's hard when people are so sincere and so unaware of how their sympathy doesn't work.

Would an "unhelpful expressions of sympathy" bingo card be useful?

I know well thr desire to tell people what you really think of their encouraging words.

We're all just making it up as we go along. Sometimes I find myself frozen, not able to get past the censor in my mind, "If I felt like shit, would I want to hurl if someone said this to me?" And yet wanting to not simply turn away speechless as though the pain of another touched me not at all.

It is hard , because people want to let you know that you were heard. I tend to send out peace - even though that isn't going to happen now, it is what I hope can happen some day , some time if just for a moment.

The current collection of responses are lovely. But my new age woo-woo friends haven't responded yet. Ah, well, into every life a little woo-woo must fall.

edit: and the cat is telling me to go to bed. I shall listen to the cat.