Trials and Tangents

[robcallahan]

It's a terrible thing, this having gotten old thing. For example, my days are filled with thoughts like, Did I leave the Iron on, Is that a scratch on my new table, and Will [insert name of] Street help me avoid the bulk of the rush hour traffic better than [insert name of] Avenue, or should I just stay at work until it's over? In all fairness,

Comments

[pjvj]

It is quite odd and unnerving the way certain things will hit that old sense and shout, "ha! olde!" I know these things very well because they started as whispers and grew louder until I paid attention. Stupid things, how they dare they

[robcallahan]

This oldness is indeed trying. Doesn't help that I'm managing a workforce who were raised with the expectation that praise would be gushed upon them for the simplest and most mundane accomplishments, as in:

"You did your homework. Great job!"
"You did the dishes. I'm so proud of you!"
"Aw, you got to school on time. Here's twenty bucks!"

Whereas I keep finding myself wanting to start in with a good, old-fashioned, "Back in my day..." Well, I blame the parents. Everyone's kids are coming into the workforce with the expectation that things like showing up on time and working a full shift are above and beyond the call of duty. What's worse, today's toddlers are being taken out for ice cream and having parties thrown in their honor every time they manage to use the training toilet, or at least come close. It's entirely possible that I'll be in some position of management twenty years from now when those kids enter the workforce, and when that day comes I am begging one of you to show up and put me out of my deep, tortured misery once

[pjvj]

At some point "back in my day..." is no longer a mockery of the 'rents and instead becomes part of regular conversations. (That brings the voices

[fornikate]

THat blows