One of the greatest professors I ever had was a math professor a couple of years ago.
I can name about 5 or 10 that I have had a Clark that I've had a deeper impact on me then just the subject they are teaching.
He had a way of incorporating life lessons in algebraic equations in one of the things I learned from him that was probably something really mentioned in passing was
"Don't bring your work home."
Sure it's a phrase everybody has heard that sounds simple enough, but yet most of us do it anyways.
I get home the office calls, other caregivers call and text asking how the day went, I have to get voicemails during school breaks talking about how ugly things happened for that day and I have to worry about friends and relatives coming over babbling on about the same job that I have to put up with during the day.
I have a sister who's a lot older than I am and works the same job I do at the same company. She uses her own non-hippa violating stories as small talk when she makes an occasional visit on the weekend-and spends a lot of time on it.
One of my moms closest friends and I share a client, so when she comes over to visit I have to hear sometimes about things that happen when I'm not there.
Each time I'm caught in a scenario that is to worky for too long, I change the subject.
Part of my family thinks I'm crazy but I have a very exponentially stressful job.
We all do, while I'm not sure how it affects me from how it affects others I have my own coping method for dealing, just as they do.
I am polite enough to not say this to them and subtle enough to change the subject without it being odd, but going back to professor Joe's idea on work and home being separate, I have made a personal choice and I do not let the natural negativity affect my life outside of the workplace so I can deal inside the work place a lot better.
When my business takes off and I'm working from home that's going to be a different demon, but for now I am perfectly content with
"HOW BOUT THOSE MARINERS."
