cubed life
A month - it's been an entire month since I first checked into my cube and donned the title "waste reduction manager". I have written surprisingly little about my new job, but I assure that is not due to lack of interest. Rather instead, I have been so overwhelmed with the magnitude, breadth, and complicated-ness of it that I haven't found a way to sum up any one aspect into a sweet little blog entry. Don't worry though, I will eventually. The subjects keep rolling around in my head until they polished enough (and small enough) to make good public fodder.
So if I were organized and prolific, what would I write about?
The difference between retail and office job
Getting used to being in a cube
What I miss about the co-op
Top ten recycling myths (that I come across)
Top then questions people ask me when they find out I work in recycling
For now though, I'll just ask - how did I get so lucky? Although I am in a cube most of the time, some days I get to play around in the warehouse (and get dirty!), other days I get to meet with people of all types, from community organizers, to government employees, to unenthused (about recycling at least) residents, and then of course I get to meet with all the recycling enthusiasts as well.
In the safety of my cube I get to listen to music, gaze out the window; play with numbers and words turning them into meaningful pretty things that people who aren't so excited about numbers and words can enjoy. I get to read online and from paper, learning about St Paul, Recycling, Environmental issues, and Environmental allies (and foes). I can cruise through our data base, read all the reports already written, half written, notes taken, forms filed, numbers tallied... the list goes farther than I know because I haven't finished exploring it yet.
True, I am still getting used to the pace. I jump at the chance to run downstairs for something - just to get my blood flowing again. I drink too much liquid to encourage me to get up at least once an hour to use the bathroom. I learned to play with fonts and format when stuck at a place in a report and after a month of working nine-to-five I finally feel like I am getting the hang of waking up at a regular time five days a week.
I miss the chance to interact with customers at my whim (but I don't miss having to interact with customers at their whim). I miss the camaraderie of having known customers and other employees for years.
I don't miss the expensive chocolate available at all times. I find I am less exhausted at the end of the day, both emotionally and physically. At the co-op I was steering the boat at least partially for a score or so of employees and several hundred customers every day. I never realized how much that wears on a person. My social life has expanded both in order to keep in touch with former co-workers, but also because now that my job is less social I actually enjoy hanging out with people more. I also find I have more interest and tolerance in meeting new people but perhaps that is just spring fever.
Well, looks like I just couldn't stop myself from covering some of those topics but I'll save the recycling tidbits for another day.