Tag Archives: work from home

All The Good Things

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Utility workers cut the internet line on my road this week. For someone who was trying to work from home for a few days, this was problematic. My home office is quieter and designed by me to suit my own introverted needs for productivity. Plus, seemingly endless rain for a few days in a row caused flash flooding throughout the county, leaving me stranded high on my ridge top for a while.

I needed internet.

Luckily, the placement of a Verizon cell phone tower just down the road means I have great cell service so I was able to use my phone as a hot spot.

We make do.

Unfortunately, talking to the internet company’s customer service felt like communicating with a brick wall. The website claimed there was no outage in the neighborhood. Could they send a technician to my house sometime next week?

Sure. I guess. I’ll be happy to point them to the cut cable down the road, I said.

At which point, the lady reminded me that I may incur a service fee if they get here and find out the issue is on my end.

Well, I don’t think that’s a possibility given that the line is cut. Down. The. Road, I said.

And so on and on went the conversation. By the end, my patience was hanging by a thread but I refuse to be mean, rude or testy with any brave soul who works in customer service.

That person was doing her best within the confines of her training and whatever script she is supposed to follow to get me what I needed. The conversation ended in the standard way with her asking if there was anything else she could help with. Then she said this:

Please do me a favor and always put a smile on your face. May all the good things in life be yours.

What a lovely way to wish someone well and conclude a conversation.

It was a challenging day but the sentiment behind this statement and the fact she would say it kind of made my day in the most unexpected ways.

So, my friends, may all the good things in life be yours.

Have a great day, friends.

PS- A nice technician came yesterday and repaired the line! The neighborhood is up and running again!

Zooming Scout

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There’s nothing like fighting with your cat in a Zoom meeting because he wants to swing from the curtains and bite your hand while you prefer that he did not do those things.

I hope everyone enjoyed seeing just two black ears in the frame while I restrained Scout in my lap and regrouped because I had dared to tell him no. A couple of times he sat up straighter so you could see eyes and nose as well but he was mainly ears.

He went on to climb from my lap onto the desk and shove his tail in front of the camera while he knocked over the lamp.

This activity is so strange because he hardly acknowledges my presence at all when I’m just sitting there working. In fact, he typically sits in the window to watch the birds or sleeps in another room. I guess cats aren’t that different than kids who mainly want their parents’ attention when there’s a phone call in progress.

Either that or maybe he’s ticked that I failed to acknowledge Black Cat Appreciation Day Tuesday. So Happy Belated Black Cat Appreciation Day!

Perspective In Photography and Life

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Lake Alma better

The sun finally found its way to my corner of the world yesterday. Since there’s more rain in the forecast, I jumped at the opportunity to go for a walk at a local state park. It was early and cold. A handful of cars drove through and I encountered just a few like minded people looking for a stretch of the legs and some fresh air. We very politely smiled as we veered away from one another.

It was a gorgeous day and the only noise came from an abundance of birds and a lone dog barking in the distance. With each step and each breath of fresh air I could feel my shoulders relaxing and breathing become calmer. I hold my breath a lot, especially when stressed, so it was refreshing to feel pure morning air fill my lungs.

The above picture was taken from one angle at the park. The picture isn’t great but notice how blue the sky is?

This next one was made just a quarter mile away and facing a different direction. The light is harsh and the colors not nearly so nice.

Lake alma bad 3-20

It was the same park and same day – just a different perspective. This is your friendly Monday morning reminder that your perspective can make or ruin your picture as well as your day.

Yesterday afternoon, our Governor announced fresh orders from the Ohio Department of Health that are meant to keep people at home. Some states are calling it “shelter in place” while our state is calling it “stay at home.”

No one really wants to do this. In fact, it seems a little surreal.

College students sunning themselves on the beach can’t understand what the big deal is about because we all know that youth is invincible and they’re sure they won’t get sick and die. That’s their perspective.

Their grandparents likely have been staying home for a while and hoping they haven’t already been exposed to the virus or anything else that would make them susceptible to illness at this time. That’s their perspective.

Some middle aged strangers I overheard commiserating at the grocery store are upset that the government would dare take away their freedom to eat in a restaurant just because a few hundred people are sick. That’s their perspective.

Now here is mine.

This is a new virus that our bodies are not prepared to combat. It travels quietly and quickly. And while it’s most dangerous to people with other conditions and to people of a certain age, it will not discriminate if it finds its way to you. It does not care if you are talented and famous, rich or poor, a good person or not.

We all are at risk of either getting sick or carrying germs to people we care about.

I will be the first person to tell you that I’m tired and want my life to go back to normal. I want to sit in a theater and watch a movie, listen to live music in a crowded place, and hop in a car to visit a museum or bookstore. I want a haircut.

But it isn’t worth the risk. 

Sometimes  I wonder if the naysayers were given a card with the name of someone they care about and told that if they don’t take this seriously, their person could die or at least be very sick and carry with them lifelong damage to their bodies. Would that matter to the kids on the beach or the complainers in the store?

It’s not forever, friends. It’s for a while. Just keep telling yourself that and we’ll get through this.

And speaking of getting through, when you do venture out to a store or to your bank or to pick up your lunch, try to be a little extra nice to those people who have no choice but to be out there working. We rely on healthcare workers, the farmers and factory workers who make sure we’re all fed, the truckers moving stuff around, as well as the cashiers and stock people who are pushing merchandise through their stores. These are all people who cannot join the work from home brigade because their jobs don’t allow it.

At the very least, show them a little extra patience and remember that some heroes don’t wear capes. They wear scrubs, work boots, and name tags. If you see a trucker somewhere, ask if they’re hungry and offer to get them food. Those big rigs don’t fit through a drive-thru lane and most fast foods places don’t take walk-ups. We need them to be fed and well to keep things moving.

Wherever you are, stay safe and well, my friends. It’s just for a while.