No, try not... Do
Today I felt good enough to go to work. I was happy to be up and running again, so much, I guess that high level energy would explain my impetuous nature as I bumped unto the car in front of me. Hahahah. It was funny I thought, it felt like coming back at a chaotic metal jungle. No time for the sick ones! Hey you , the turtle over there! The one with the flu, move in or move out! Vroooooom!!!! Honk Honk!! So there I was. My birthday number 43 and I was forced to call insurance companies and wait on the car as my class (thanks technology) was virtually advised to start without me.
This graycarwoman (never gave me her name) was reasonably upset. She was late for a conference call, worked for Pfizer but abruptly asked me why did I bump into her. I bluntly said it was all because of a cracker, and started laughing. She was not.
I adjusted my humor according to the situation. "OK, I'm sorry, because it's my fault", and she smiled politely. "Can I have your drivers license please?" "Nope", I said. Cars were fiercely honking behind us. "Then, your circulation card please". I said, "I'm a decent person, I'm not running away", I added one more mental sentence: "you moron". Honk! Move asshole! Someone yelled in the back. "Whatever, let's move" and I gave her the card. She took it like a trophy in her palm.
We moved out of the way. As I was waiting, she asked me for my cellphone, she was out of credit on hers. Really? Pfizer does not pay so well then, I thought. Were they German? American? It seemed her insurance had not been renewed but had to call her husband to make sure. Yes, do what you must graycarwoman, I have 20 plus kids in a room, so whatever we need to do, let's move it.
Standing in the cold morning and the cars wheezing by made a powerful draft that my body was resenting deeply after the flu. Why was I in such good humor? My birthday didn't make me powerful or insensitive at the fact I had ruined the morning for this graycarwoman. I was happy I was healthy, I felt well physically.
After waiting for her insurance (for an hour) the usual guy in a motorcycle finally made it. In the meantime some dogs were walking up and down the avenue and I was happy to be around them. Graycarwoman was not interested in having small talk... My personal theory is her hubby renewed the insurance, then called the insurance. Violà! All with the help of my cellphone company! Free-of-charge! Mi cellphone es su cellphone graycarwoman!
Payments were made, no last sorries, or goodbyes were exalted amongst two fellow women behaving like decent human beings. Clac, clac, my door closed and off I went off to my students.
As I got to class I really understood this has probably been the only job I ever had that doesn't have the same qualities of working, let's say for a client or a company. It's not the lame discourse of "corporation" versus individual. No. What I simply mean is that I really care about teaching. It doesn't feel like working at all. Students make me laugh most of the time.
After work I had therapy, one more thing that given the right perspective, it's a place you build for yourself. Then I decided I was going to go to that place, like a sauna or a spa: or the place where I pay someone to help me understand I'm worth making time for myself. Sounds funny when I put it this way.
In any case, lots of amazing discoveries and intricate underground breakthroughs were made as usual (insert fake laughter). I was ready to get back to rest, as my body was getting tired. I had one more thing to do first. Find my medicine.
The day before, I knew from the lady at the drugstore Tamiflu (a Roche product now I know) was sold out. The no, no, head left to right, followed by, "I'm sorry", followed by "I don't know" frustrated look, when asked if they would be replenished by some sort of, I don't know... foreseeable date?
What is this? I thought... What are we... A third world country? Hahahah. Shit we are. Hahahah. Damn! But hell, sold out? Since when we are that many this has happened before, or how many of us do we need, thy sick, to call this a flu epidemic? So many now, we have a shortage of a drug?
At the supermarket I bought some funny toys I usually award the best students work with, I though I would get ahead while I was at these stores. As they bounce they utter Star Wars phrases, I know my young students are not 15 but they have Yoda's voice repeating about DOING better than just trying and I know they will crack someone up one night as they work late, really really late, when everything has gotten to the point of being really funny.
As I went to hospitals and other farther and farther away places, I felt I was diving into a black market. "There are some units at this store" finally said one lady at a Sanborns' counter. "Really??" My dim look (after some intense coughing) lit up.
I took the address and drove there. Traffic was on it's peak hour. As I stopped and advanced on red and green lights, I listened to some warbled voices. "Mshbs is ith gwnn", thyy dug" Again and again. "What the hell" I thought, to put it mildly. So annoying... After looking for the source of the sound, I took my purse off the seat: Three pensive Yodas and a Darth Vader spoke to me. Their bouncy heads were doing a splendid job sending signals to the cute, small, itsy, bitsy speaker within them.
"The Force is all around you", they made me laugh. But certainly, after an hour I was trying to switch them off. No switch. The only way to achieve that, was to have a teeny screwdriver, one which, everyone has in their car because they're trying to defuse a nuclear bomb in the middle of Insurgentes Avenue at rush hour...
Made it to the store in time. Lady at the counter says, nope, sold out. "Really?" I asked, "they said you had plenty at the other store, they looked at the stock in your system and that's why I came here". She said, "Oh yeah, you're not the only one, they keep sending people here but the system doesn't actually let anyone know the real stock until it refreshes... tomorrow". "Ah, really? And how I was supposed to know about this? I mean, scratch that off, don't the people in your stores know this?" "They should", she shrugged, "but you can go back and tell them to stop sending us people".
After two hours reaching this point I called the supervisor. I asked politely to the lady: "Pick up the phone right now, because this brilliant woman had an interesting idea but I will try to actually prevent another stupid person from falling into the cracks of your deficient system. I will not go back to the other store that is two hours away to tell them (smiled briefly), you, your company are out of this medicine too. I propose you guys do the job... Simple, just dial now and stop people from driving on a now-blocked-street-city-because-the-Pope-is-almost-here!"
Got into my car, and drove away empty handed. Bed seemed more appetising than dinner. I still had two more hours of Yoda, Vader and The Force (that was clearly all around me or strong within me, but not with me).
Finally, tucked in bed, I must say I wanted to thank everyone that tried to make this day special in some sort of way. It's the twists and turns, the roads I have taken, that has made me meet all of you wonderful people. This will always prevent me from ever saying I made a wrong turn in my life. Have a wonderful year and as Yoda would incessantly say "No, try not... Do".
This graycarwoman (never gave me her name) was reasonably upset. She was late for a conference call, worked for Pfizer but abruptly asked me why did I bump into her. I bluntly said it was all because of a cracker, and started laughing. She was not.
I adjusted my humor according to the situation. "OK, I'm sorry, because it's my fault", and she smiled politely. "Can I have your drivers license please?" "Nope", I said. Cars were fiercely honking behind us. "Then, your circulation card please". I said, "I'm a decent person, I'm not running away", I added one more mental sentence: "you moron". Honk! Move asshole! Someone yelled in the back. "Whatever, let's move" and I gave her the card. She took it like a trophy in her palm.
We moved out of the way. As I was waiting, she asked me for my cellphone, she was out of credit on hers. Really? Pfizer does not pay so well then, I thought. Were they German? American? It seemed her insurance had not been renewed but had to call her husband to make sure. Yes, do what you must graycarwoman, I have 20 plus kids in a room, so whatever we need to do, let's move it.
Standing in the cold morning and the cars wheezing by made a powerful draft that my body was resenting deeply after the flu. Why was I in such good humor? My birthday didn't make me powerful or insensitive at the fact I had ruined the morning for this graycarwoman. I was happy I was healthy, I felt well physically.
After waiting for her insurance (for an hour) the usual guy in a motorcycle finally made it. In the meantime some dogs were walking up and down the avenue and I was happy to be around them. Graycarwoman was not interested in having small talk... My personal theory is her hubby renewed the insurance, then called the insurance. Violà! All with the help of my cellphone company! Free-of-charge! Mi cellphone es su cellphone graycarwoman!
Payments were made, no last sorries, or goodbyes were exalted amongst two fellow women behaving like decent human beings. Clac, clac, my door closed and off I went off to my students.
As I got to class I really understood this has probably been the only job I ever had that doesn't have the same qualities of working, let's say for a client or a company. It's not the lame discourse of "corporation" versus individual. No. What I simply mean is that I really care about teaching. It doesn't feel like working at all. Students make me laugh most of the time.
After work I had therapy, one more thing that given the right perspective, it's a place you build for yourself. Then I decided I was going to go to that place, like a sauna or a spa: or the place where I pay someone to help me understand I'm worth making time for myself. Sounds funny when I put it this way.
In any case, lots of amazing discoveries and intricate underground breakthroughs were made as usual (insert fake laughter). I was ready to get back to rest, as my body was getting tired. I had one more thing to do first. Find my medicine.
The day before, I knew from the lady at the drugstore Tamiflu (a Roche product now I know) was sold out. The no, no, head left to right, followed by, "I'm sorry", followed by "I don't know" frustrated look, when asked if they would be replenished by some sort of, I don't know... foreseeable date?
What is this? I thought... What are we... A third world country? Hahahah. Shit we are. Hahahah. Damn! But hell, sold out? Since when we are that many this has happened before, or how many of us do we need, thy sick, to call this a flu epidemic? So many now, we have a shortage of a drug?
At the supermarket I bought some funny toys I usually award the best students work with, I though I would get ahead while I was at these stores. As they bounce they utter Star Wars phrases, I know my young students are not 15 but they have Yoda's voice repeating about DOING better than just trying and I know they will crack someone up one night as they work late, really really late, when everything has gotten to the point of being really funny.
As I went to hospitals and other farther and farther away places, I felt I was diving into a black market. "There are some units at this store" finally said one lady at a Sanborns' counter. "Really??" My dim look (after some intense coughing) lit up.
I took the address and drove there. Traffic was on it's peak hour. As I stopped and advanced on red and green lights, I listened to some warbled voices. "Mshbs is ith gwnn", thyy dug" Again and again. "What the hell" I thought, to put it mildly. So annoying... After looking for the source of the sound, I took my purse off the seat: Three pensive Yodas and a Darth Vader spoke to me. Their bouncy heads were doing a splendid job sending signals to the cute, small, itsy, bitsy speaker within them.
Made it to the store in time. Lady at the counter says, nope, sold out. "Really?" I asked, "they said you had plenty at the other store, they looked at the stock in your system and that's why I came here". She said, "Oh yeah, you're not the only one, they keep sending people here but the system doesn't actually let anyone know the real stock until it refreshes... tomorrow". "Ah, really? And how I was supposed to know about this? I mean, scratch that off, don't the people in your stores know this?" "They should", she shrugged, "but you can go back and tell them to stop sending us people".
After two hours reaching this point I called the supervisor. I asked politely to the lady: "Pick up the phone right now, because this brilliant woman had an interesting idea but I will try to actually prevent another stupid person from falling into the cracks of your deficient system. I will not go back to the other store that is two hours away to tell them (smiled briefly), you, your company are out of this medicine too. I propose you guys do the job... Simple, just dial now and stop people from driving on a now-blocked-street-city-because-the-Pope-is-almost-here!"
Got into my car, and drove away empty handed. Bed seemed more appetising than dinner. I still had two more hours of Yoda, Vader and The Force (that was clearly all around me or strong within me, but not with me).
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