It was only about three years ago that I found out what 'TGIF' stands for. And I still don't get that attitude. Except when I have big plans for the weekend, there would be no particular reason to look forward to it, and besides there's nothing to prevent me from having big plans on a weeknight. Generally my mentality has been that I love work. I always loved my job in Virginia, and though there were grueling days, I never really had a mentality of simply living for the weekend.
I've had three different jobs in Georgia, and each one I thoroughly enjoyed. Two were temporary assignments - the longest lasted three months - and one I worked at almost a year, right up until the week before Jane was born. Every single one had its tense moments, but overall they were extremely satisfying. I loved dressing professionally, driving to work, interacting with co-workers, talking with clients, solving problems, drinking water from the water cooler, and of course cashing my paycheck! There is no way I could have lived my life hating my job, or even just enduring it, living for the weekend, considering how much of my waking time I spent doing it.
Michael emailed me today with several questions on paperwork he has to fill out for HR. (SS #s, etc.) I love this kind of stuff. Filling out forms and going through orientation in a new situation is so fascinating to me that I wish I could do it for him, since he's not so crazy about it and views the paperwork as a necessary drag and the exciting adventure of the new horizon as a lesson to be patiently learned so that the thrill of the unknown can be compressed into the predictability of the familiar and therefore be more efficient to work with. I suppose there's something to be said for the comfort of a known quantity, and I definitely enjoy my job when I know what's expected of me and when I know my colleagues well enough to establish a rapport with them. But I so enjoy striking out for new adventure, reveling in the sensation of a clean slate, rising to the occasion and solving the problems of the world no matter how stressful it may seem. Especially now that I know that stress does not cause stomach ulcers.
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While I may not share your hyper-love of every job you've had, and do tend to look forward to the weekends, if for nothing else than to have something towards which to look forward, I CAN completely relate to the fascination of the unknown, the clean slate, learning new things, etc. I sympathize with Michael, though, because at times the process of doing new things is tedious and annoying. Like moving to a new state and having to deal with all the ridiculous redtape of new car insurance, changing addresses, correcting the change of address because they got it wrong for the second time, getting new phone numbers, registering to vote, etc. Maybe I need a spouse to help me and that's what makes the difference. ;-)
I hope you realize that your outlook is not really normal. Or possibly I mean usual. I always looked forward to weekends because I separated my work life from my personal life. I far more preferred to be at home, no structure, no pressures, no one to please. And then, of course, I had kids and my job became my life, so I had to change my approach. Meaning that now my life is a little more structured, but my job is a bit free-wheeling. :) Oh, well, the world needs people like you. You're the ones who get things done. Call me when you need to work on enjoying free time.
-- SJ
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