It's weird having a job where the law has determined that I have confidentiality and privileged communication. You can't ever fully debrief to your partner, or your friends, or your family.
Well, except...
Okay. It's kind of weird. My sister and I both work for the same organization. And my mother volunteers there, as well. So, I can discuss work outside of work - but only to select people. It makes a bizarre dynamic. It's like some of the family is all in on this big secret. And, like any field, there is our own lingo and acronyms, shared coworkers and experiences.
And, honestly, I'm not sure if it is better or worse. Some days, I'm so glad that I can process my day with someone who I don't feel guilty about calling at 8:30 pm on a Tuesday. Other days, I'm so frustrated that I'm the one being called about work things when I'm not at work. This is already a job you live 24 hours a day (and that's even more true since I'm on call all weekend this weekend) - it's not like you need to spend extra time thinking and talking about it.
So, my point? I'm not sure there is one other than it being a tricky situation to navigate, sometimes. That makes this blog post incredibly uninteresting to anyone who isn't me. But, it's one of the things that is on my mind - and one of the things I'm allowed to talk about, at least.
Your title reminds me of a song i used to know by a christin rock band called Ghoti Hook. How's that for random?
ReplyDeleteI find it totally interesting for several reasons: (1)It gives me an insight into what's like to work at a place when one sees lots of suffering but can't talk about it outside of the office; (2) It helps me understand why so many social workers change careers; (3)It clearly shows me how in certain professions is nearly impossible to work 8 hours, go home, and forget about it all.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad, exfundy, that you think this post was interesting. And, I especially appreciate that you innumerate them. :)
ReplyDeleteGrasshopper, what does Ghoti Hook mean?
ReplyDelete