Answers to questions from Friday Five:
Note: I might not get too involved with this set of Fivers because I’m reminded of all my failures. And of my dusty, old resume. Also, looking at other people’s answers/format, I think I might be doing this wrong. I’ll add edits later. Maybe.
What are the areas of your expertise?
I’m a dusty, old administrative assistant. There’s no glamour in it at all. I like what I do, and I’m great at it, but I don’t have a degree and I’m constantly having to prove my worth. If there are millennials involved, proving my worth is especially difficult. (Let’s revisit this later…)
What are you territorial about?
The first thing that comes to mind are material things, but I’ve recently become very territorial of being in my hidey-hole. At this moment in time, I am happiest at home in my pyjamas.
Old friend Lisa doesn’t get it. She is constantly on the go and surrounds herself with interesting friends to entertain her psyche. When she wants to go out and do something with me, there’s a 50% chance of me backing out. (She would probably say 75%.)
But Lisa of all people should understand how burnt I’ve been from life, thanks to being completely [censored] …I’m not talking about it now. There’s too much. I’m maintaining a quiet distance from other humans, and my daughter is concerned, but I’m just fine with it. Yes, I am depressed and have been openly depressed for a many years. Putting myself in anything other than a low-energy social situation makes me very unhappy.
I’m not quite at the point where I just want people to leave me alone althogether, but when people like Lisa get annoyed at me declining all the time, I get a little angry about having to justify myself.
Note: I love going to breakfast and will almost always say yes if you ask. ☺ Also, if it’s free, I might go.
What’s a bit of specific wisdom from your field that could apply to life in general?
In the administrative assistant arena, the biggest KSA would be being able to take it when people step on you, which happens quite often. (Add this to the “Need to Revisit” list…)
How big or small is your personal space bubble?
I’m probably the one making people uncomfortable with being in their face. Yes–I’m the one that gets within 10-inches of you, if you’ll let me.
This isn’t to say that I don’t have a bubble. If I don’t know you or if I work with you or if I have to maintain some sort of professional distance, there is definitely an arm’s length bubble.
Two notable bubble issues occurred recently:
- While I was walking downtown with my daughter, a street performer in a Spidey costume walked up to us, even after I tried to avoid eye contact, and put his arm around my shoulder. I did not like that at all. I do not like being touched by unknown men. I wasn’t mean, I didn’t yell, I kept a slightly friendly look on my face…and I did a dip-and-sidestep maneuver to get out from under his arm. I kept walking and Spidey called after me. “You’re a real woman! The best woman!!” What the hell?? And in front of my kid, too!
- Because of a severe weather alert earlier this month, downtown Austin was the scene of a mass exodus at about 3:30pm. We have gotten our fair share of severe weather, so “Better safe than sorry” is the mindset for sure. The buses, where there are ZERO bubbles, were literally packed like sardines and being body-to-body couldn’t be helped. Being a commuter is one situation where you have exercise some bubble flexibility. HOWEVER…the very large man sitting next to me settled in for the 1-hour ride with his elbow under my right boob. And a man who was standing to my left had his right elbow about an inch from my cheek. Pardon my French, but I’m still very pissed off about that whole day.
What are your current emotional and mental states?
Wow. So much to say on this, but…I’ll just leave it here:
Artist unknown – If you created this graphic, please contact me so I may either credit you or remove your artwork from this blog. Thank you!