Maybe I always feel this way the first few weeks in a new job, but once you learn the basics and gain respect for what you can do in the position from your colleagues and supervisors, you forget how challenging it was in the beginning to get up to speed and start making your mark. Tonight, I feel overwhelmed once again. The funny thing is that the feeling is not about the daily responsibilities on my plate or being able to manage everything I am in charge of handling because I have worked here before, and I feel very comfortable with the everyday “meat” of my job and even with my colleagues as I am not new to them, at least not most of them. The stress today is coming from those we serve in our facility, from the community which is already impressing upon me a pressure to make changes for ongoing issues the department has had in the past. This is an unfortunate situation to come into, and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we can make effective and positive changes and come out all the better and happier as a department and within the community for it, but I feel that I am not totally being given a chance to even address issues or forge bonds. encourage healthy communication, and foster positive relationships with the community because of the past.
In my mind, we are starting with a clean slate. I want to listen to and understand what issues or concerns the community has, and I want to solve these with everyone’s best interests at heart. I hope that I am feeling overly sensitive right now and that I am misreading the sentiments within the community. I believe that we will be able to talk positively and collaborate to find a happy medium. My aim is to foster trust in our new vision of uncompromising customer service. Everyone has to start somewhere. So, I am ready to take the first step toward a better future, and I have faith it will all work out in the end if we just handle our relationships (work and otherwise) with love, understanding, and compassion and with the children’s health, happiness, educational growth, and well-being as our primary purpose on the atoll.
You see, life here is not all that different from any other small town in America, but it is important that we are careful with each other, that we are considerate of each other, and that we take the time to see things from another’s perspective before passing judgment. Because I am guilty at times of not taking my own advice about this, I know what it leads to, and it’s nothing good. This place is too small, and we are too close to harbor anger, bitterness, or negative feelings for too long before it will simply isolate us more and tear us apart from the inside. This may seem extreme, but it happens all the time. People often PCS furious about the frustrations they’ve experienced and bitter about their time in the islands, and that’s not how it should be. It’s too unique and wonderful of a place to not enjoy it while you can, so I’ll do my best to help others find that enjoyment at least when it comes to the care and nurturing of their children. Wish me luck! :)
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