More than that, I hope that I am done packing. I didn't even get my suitcase out until after 10:30 tonight.
I've been working on the volunteer scheduling for Camp Widow and all that that entails. When you are working with around 30-40 volunteers, it's mostly chaos. Controlled chaos, to be sure, but chaos nevertheless.
That must be why God gave me 6 children. He knew that I would always be trying to control chaos of some kind or another .... most likely for the rest of my life.
And I'm ok with that.
So I think I have the schedule done, adjusted, re-adjusted, tweaked, re-tweaked, set, re-set and maybe, just maybe .... I have the final version.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha ....... ok, I almost fell off of my chair with that one. Had to get a tissue to wipe my eyes.
Oh, that was HI.LAR.I.OUS!
While I, and my lovely and oh, so patient, and working-on-no-sleep friend, Michele would LOVE to think that this is the last version of the volunteer schedule .... that is nothing short of a pipe dream.
We are working with women.
Lots and lots of women.
Yes, there are several men involved, but they are not the ones I'm talking about at the moment. Men usually take the shift you give them, say something like, "OK." and then show up for their shift.
Or ignore the shift completely.
That's how men tend to operate .... according to my oh, so vast (ha!) experience. Pretty white and black.
But women. Women love the grey. They thrive in the grey.
Mostly.
This does not apply to all women, so please try to fight the desire to send a mob to lynch me for stereotyping. If this really is stereotyping.
And I'm not sure that it is.
Now where was I?
Oh yes .... women.
Lovely, sensitive (mostly), compassionate (mostly) creatures who want to please others (mostly). It's a blessing and a curse.
Trying to please 30-40 women is like trying to gather all 6 of my children together after church every week for 24 years or so.
I always referred to that as "herding cats". Just when you have 5 in place, ready to head to the car, 2 take off to "go look for" the 6th. The 6th shows up, sans the previous 2, and then 1 heads off to locate those 2. It was a weekly child-wrangling event.
I think herding cats may have been a bit easier.
So, pleasing women.
Or rather, pleasing a large group of women.
Usually not the easiest thing in the world. Usually .... quite frustrating.
But .... these are not your ordinary, every day run of the mill women.
Nope.
No how.
No way.
These are ..... yes, I'm going to use the dreaded and much-hated and despised "W" word .... (and NO, I'm not referring to the former president of the United States for all you smart alecks out there) .... they are widows.
And widows are a rare breed.
Well, the fact that they are widows isn't so rare, unfortunately. Which makes me want to get up on my soap box and thump the male population over the head and say, "Take better care of yourselves and get a yearly checkup!!!"
But I will refrain from stepping up on that box.
For now.
The volunteers I am working with are widows, plus some widowers thrown in for a good mix.
And while they are, indeed, women .... widows are some of the most compassionate, nonjudgmental, willing-to-help-another-widow, big-hearted, accepting, ready to love and be loved .... people I've ever met.
And so while I may have had to tweak my schedule one or thirteen times, it was done with love .... because it was asked of me in love.
Tomorrow I leave for San Diego. I think I am ready. I hope I am ready.
My mom came into town yesterday to hold down the fort while I'm gone. We watched Olympics last night (I worked while I half-way watched) and then today we went to see two movies. So yes, I have no one to blame but myself .... and my mother .... that I didn't really start packing until 10:30 tonight.
(But it was totally worth it because we saw "Total Recall" and the new Batman movie, the actual name of it escapes me at the moment, but give me a break .... it's now 1:22 a.m.
We thoroughly enjoyed both movies.
But Batman rocked. And made my mom cry. Me? I refused to cry. I think I must have only so many tears left now, after 4 1/2 years of using up a couple of tons, so I need to pick and choose the things/books/movies/Hallmark commercials/and children-who-came-from-my-body .... that I will expend tears upon.
Yes, it's a tough job.
But of course, someone has to do it.)
:)
So I'm signing off.
For now.
And as is my almost-usual habit when I travel .... I shall leave you with a question.
And I expect you ALL (or most of you anyway) to RISE to the occasion .... and answer it.
And yes, I'm slapping down the widow card here .... do it for me. :)
Here's your question .... and it's a pretty loaded one, so either have a blast with it, or answer ... and then duck for cover.
For those of you who have worked for/under/or with both men AND women ..... which do you prefer?
And really, I'm mostly looking for answers from women .... though I'm intrigued to know what men may have experienced with this, too.
I'll go first, because I'm just nice that way and want to break the ice for you all ..... and it is my blog so it feels like kind of an obligation.
But .... I have worked for women. And with women.
And, without a doubt, or a hesitation .... I can say that most of those experiences .... were some of the worst employment experiences I ever had.
Hands down.
Women can be mean to other women.
Heck .... not just "can" .... but are. A lot.
Not always and not in all work places or all situations.
But I'd be willing to bet that over 50% of women who have worked for women, did not have an overall positive experience.
Now I have to qualify my opinion .... the absolute worst women I worked for/and/or with .... were women who had not gone to college (and this was after I had). They made the workplace a cut-throat experience, day after day.
I recognized that they felt jealous, threatened, or somehow "less than" .... those of us who had degrees, but that is something they put upon themselves. Especially the older women.
I could go on and on with this, but I won't.
I just want to know your thoughts .... and your experiences.
And I must say, that since I've lived in Texas, and have only worked at, and for, my church .... I never experienced that.
At all.
Ever.
And I miss working with those people.
Very, very much.
But I digress and don't want to start sniveling and having to find a tissue.
So .... you have your question.
Now .... discuss amongst yourselves.
Now!
The more the merrier and the more .... the more interesting this becomes!
Night, Peeps.
Happy Sunday.
I'll see you from San Diego.
:)
I supervised fifteen women in a customer service Dept. Ages twenty to fifty five. I was forty. Just about did me in.
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with your assessment which is so unfortunate - especially given the fact that I am a woman and manage a sales team. Currently I am reporting to a woman whom I used to consider a friend. That friendship dwindled a while ago but that was my choice. Six months ago this woman became my boss and is on a mission to have me declared incompetent on a daily basis. After almost 24 years at the same company without any conflicts I am finding myself in the middle of World War III. It's a nightmare and I am not sure how this will end at this point - but it needs to end soon!!!
ReplyDeleteMy thought is that she needs to have a problem/issue/drama going on so she doesn't have to focus on what really matters at work. I am one of many victims and I know I won't be the last. This is a pattern for her. I am not sure I understand what she gets out of all this but obviously there is a payoff of some kind or she wouldn't be doing it over and over. Her victims can be men or women - she is not selective on gender.
I am interested to hear what others have to say on this subject.
I would have to say men as well. I find men to be earlier in general. Women? Well, we are really hard on each other when we should be rallying together and supporting each other. I remember when I was 13 I went to a new school and most of my close friends were guys...they were just easier!
ReplyDeleteI've worked for both men and women and haven't really found there to be a huge difference between the two. However, my best, most supportive, motivating, encouraging, all around fantastic supervisor was a woman, so I guess I'm biased in believing a woman is the best boss. However, my worst, cattiest, discouraging, petty-to-the-utmost boss was a woman, too!
ReplyDeleteHowever, I have found male bosses to be more sympathetic to men's situations and that drove me insane. One supervisor gave a male co-worker a raise while a female colleague was just as deserving and his reasoning was, "He has a stay at home wife and children to support." SERIOUSLY??? So, now, we should just get paid based on how many financial burdens we have? Guess I better go have some kids and tell the hubs to quit his job!
I liked working with the male managers in our office. They had more of a sense of humor even when things were going bad, awful wrong. They seemed to keep the big picture.
ReplyDeleteI didn't care much for working with the female managers, however I very much liked the women who were at the same level as myself. We got along well and were supportive of each other.
Give me a male boss any day. The female bosses I worked with put too much emotion and personal preference into their leadership roles. I found that male bosses were more apt to be non-judgmental and less biased in decisions than the female counterparts. I really liked both females I worked with as FRIENDS but not as bosses. I think women sometimes try too hard to impress others and worry more about what others think of them which I think is probably just a gender trait.
ReplyDelete