Filed under: notes
Ms. Theologian—
My boss does the schedule and keeps scheduling me for weekends. It’s a retail business and it’s totally a friggin’ zoo on weekends. This is maybe the third or fourth weekend that I’ve had to work in a row and I end up missing seeing my friends and then I have Monday off while they’re at work and then maybe Wednesday off, never two days in a row. I’ve told him I don’t like this, but he keeps doing this. What should I do?
Weekends Ruined
Dear Ruined:
Coincidentally, Ms. Theologian is working this weekend.
Here’s how I look at it. Right now is a snapshot: I’m tired now, I don’t want to do this anymore, I’m ready to quit. But this feeling is a small snapshot of my life.
The snap shot, this frame, is part of a much longer film of my life. And this film has really great moments with beautiful views, kind people, and lovely animal companions–the kind of moments that make you weep with joy. And let me tell you about tulips. There are the biggest, reddish tulips that make you think that life couldn’t be so miraculous (and so full of pollen) in a home garden.
So if working weekends a snapshot, then you can survive it. But if you think of your life as a film and every shot, every single frame is you working weekends at your retail job, then, my friend, it is time for a change.
Practically speaking, you need to find a new way to approach your boss (Boss, my productivity might be improved if I had two days off in a row every once in a while to recharge and then I could take on this extra project. How about April 15 and 16? And how about Project X?) or present an alternative (Rose has agreed to fill in for me this weekend so I can have time off to recharge. I’m working her shift on Tuesday and Wednesday) or quit.
Remember that the best films aren’t all about tulips. There’s highs and lows. But without the lows, you would never notice the tulips.
Ms. Theologian
P.S. If you would like to write to Ms. Theologian, send an email to ms dot theologian at gmail dot com
P.P.S. Ms. Theologian recommends Heaven’s Gonna Be My Home by the Crooked Jades for times like these. And by “times,” she means any time.
Oh Lord, before I die,
Lord lift me up above the sickness
Show me a world cruel and senseless.
Must be a better world. Must be.