Lack of Initiative

We all need breaks.

I remember sitting in the water, on the beach, slow waves moving past me, rolling past me to move a bit of sand on the shore. Me letting the waves move my body, almost massage my body, my mind just enjoying being moved, thanking the sun for delivering thought-removing rays.

I don't visit the beach as often as I should. I love sitting and relaxing in the water. Not thinking of the mercury poisoning, the dead fish, the seagulls and going back to the sand – and everybody else's garbage can (I think beach is French for garbage can, actually).

Mallory said something recently about not realizing how good one has it – and I think that's why we all need breaks. I have been working all week, but it is sort of a mini-vacation because I have not done a darned thing. I hope my boss is not reading this.

You know, until I wrote that, I did not really realize that I could have basically taken the week off. I mean, I felt like I was at work half the time, but I accomplished absolutely nothing. I should have mentally taken the week off – an employee-sponsored vacation that does not deplete my vacation leave. That's what it would have been. Sadly, I am not sure my employer would have noticed the hiatus. Perhaps not sadly, if I play my cards right.

If I had more initiative, I could . . . . You can fill in the blanks.

Think about how to fill in the blanks, though. If you had more initiative, you could do a heck of a good job at work and get a small raise at the next performance appraisal time period. Oh, that 2.5% looks mighty tempting.

Or you could get more responsibility, take on more risk and get perhaps a five to ten percent raise. Then the boss wants you to do more each freaking day! Doesn't seem like a plan for me. Oh, and I did not even mention the added stress, the heart disease, whatever.

Or you could work full time, do what you normally do, and then work on a second job while at work. For those of you with nice offices – perhaps you can sublet. For me, I could collect extra income for storage – there are lots of closets in our work. I have the keys to these storage closets, and no one ever takes anything out of them. I would simply discard the stuff – old records and whatever – and then collect rent to store things for others.

I could even squeeze in a full-time job while working. Well, if I am motivated, does it make more sense to work darned hard for the 2.5% to perhaps five or ten percent, or get like 50% more with a part-time job. That kind of math I can do.

Oh, but I have to be motivated. Well, guess I will just start visiting other people's blogs and answering comments. Hubbie can bring home the bacon!