The Lonely Challenge at Work
Started a new job on January 2. I'm producing a PILOT for Minnesota Public Radio about parenthood. It is born from my work at http://www.mombo.org, where I have been tooling away for 16 years.Here at my cubicle at the home of MPR, I have lots of responsibilities. But it is not certain to me how to socialize or be human with these people around me. My friend Sasha who is the producer who kicked down the door to get me in here to sit at this fancy desk, said to me "Nanc. We don't really say hello." Hmmm... I had been walking by people's cubicles in the morning, waving and saying hello to all the people I had been meeting. Nice people. Hard working producers who are incredible talents, some of them, and great peristent survivors, others. So here I am after all these years of being in my home office, in my yard in the fall on a deck chair, slogging away on my MOMbo work, and here I am at the center of the radio world, and I just need to remember NOT TO SAY HELLO and to keep my head down and work. I get just as much done here as I do at home, because I'm a focused little writer and producer. I think all day and every once in a while I feel a spurt of glee that I am getting paid to research a book and prepare for an interview.
But I really do want to say hello. I really do want to bound up and down the halls once in a while. It's a tricky balance. More later. Gotta go.
Nanci Olesen is the host/producer of MOMbo, a radio resource for moms,http://www.mombo.org, and is hosting a PILOT about parenthood for Minnesota Public Radio. Nanci says HELLO to all of you and hopes you have a good, hard working, pleasant day in your work space, wherever it is and however you manage to get your work done.
posted by Nanci Olesen @ 7:30 AM
4 Comments:
If you can't say HELLO what kind of a world is it? A nod, a wave, and a big SMILE are always great. You should keep on being you. On some days a friendly hello has been the thing to keep me going. I love friendly people, and I bet a lot of other people do too. At least one of your readers appreciates YOU as a talented, nice, and friendly person.
How strange to not be able to say hello.
Maybe you could whisper it to people without moving your lips? Pass a note? Finger wave like truck-drivin' cowboys do? (I don't mean flipping off, I mean raising your index finger ever so slightly. It's usually done over a steering wheel, but maybe you could do it over the top of your cubicle wall).
Not having my hello's welcomed would make me grouchy.
One of my coworkers actually gave me an unexpected hug one morning, and it made my day! Not say "hello"? How morbid and depressing...
You keep being you, girl. Maybe these people need to learn to say "hello" and "good morning" and "nice to be here."
Hello! I read this article! Big thanks to author, very interesting. Write more.
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