Thank you for your persistence...

(the closing to an email I recently received at work)

This really means "stop bugging me". Some of my other favorites include "All the best" and "Respectfully". What happened to a simple "thank you". I'm closing in on a month of temping, and I have a few observations on the state of administrative work.

When you are low on the totem pole, you must get clarification for absolutely everything. If you do not ask, then you will probably do it wrong, because there is no possible way to guess which routine task has an exception to it This One Time. The beauty of asking questions lies in the response. The person you are asking will patiently sigh, usually tell you what you already know, and then shake their head slightly as you walk out the door. They are wondering how you get by in the world with your inability to figure out a simple thing like TPS reports.

Temping is a real exercise in humility.

Another thing I've noticed is the office gossip. The last time I temped it was for a very small department, and while there was plenty of chit-chat, it was truly gossip-worthy stories containing elements of mystery, impropriety, and lust. There is nothing that interesting going on in my current office. And there is nothing so lame as pretending that you aren't listening to your coworkers talk about each other's job performance or lack there of.

A very strange thing happened earlier this week when I was trying to place an order for hundreds of dollars worth of printer cartridges...lightening flashed and thunder boomed and my screen did a weird flashy thing and it deleted my order. I see it as a sign from God that we should stop using so much paper by printing every email we receive.

A lot of my job responsibilities are sort of silly and redundant, but I don't think that the work of this office is. There is one woman here who is consistently positive about her work, and vocal about it, in a very natural way. I think she embodies what I have come to feel about work...whatever your job, do it with passion. Accept the limitations that come with your role. Be engaged in your daily activities. Talk about your work in a positive way.

Anyway, people in this office have been very nice and friendly and I don't hate coming to work. It is coming to an early end, though...because I got a teaching job! I will be teaching K-2 inclusion special education, and I am really excited. Stay tuned for more details!