Work From Home Day

Though I enjoy working in SF downtown, I gladly welcome each Thursday when I get to work from home. My dining room transforms into my makeshift office. There are no interruptions (except when I run downstairs to do my laundry) and contact with the outside world is reduced to email.

It's not that I don't love my job. I do. But I always look forward to Thursdays.

This week in particular I really needed my WFHD. On Monday I stepped off the plane from TX and went straight to work. That probably was a mistake, but I needed to get back into the office after being out for a couple of days. I was able to catch up on things, which included returning a phone call to a therapist who has been working with a student of mine. What I didn't expect was a 40-minute berating in which I was faulted for my "missteps" in dealing with my student. Having no reserves to push back, I wound up holding back tears and trying to remain civil. "I hope you understand," said the therapist. To which I replied, "It's hard not to take it personally." I even tried finding our mutual point of agreement (wanting the well-being of the student). She told me this wasn't the point.

After hanging up, I tried to collect myself in the bathroom. I was startled by how red my eyes were in the mirror and immediately knew I needed to step out of the office. I made it to our front desk to tell our admin, who asked if I was okay. That question always prompts the floodgates to burst, and I couldn't hold back any longer. I felt sorry for the guy sitting in the waiting area who witnessed it all.

Ironically, I had told my coworkers there would be no tears this semester. I was within days of making this happen!

Thank goodness for Thursdays.