Catch up

Slow morning at work, which I desperately need…

The last two days I’ve been running a training class here at work on basic management skills, development strategies, etc.

I am reminded, from time to time, that I sometimes have conflicts about what I do for a living.

I work for a Fortune 200 retail company that’s relatively benign — no pollutants, environmental chemicals, war profiteering, etc; issues related to Third World sweatshops and more complex economic justice do exist, but I work from within to deal with them here; and my job actually entails responsibility for working on issues of fair treatment for all employees and a special emphasis on what irritatingly is called “diversity training” which I think of as “not being an asshole to any of the people you manage”.

There are days when I get to play, like the last few days, with folks at all levels from brandy-new supervisors to recently hired senior executives (who are there for an understanding of company culture more than actual training). Sessions like that can be tough from trying to address the diverse needs of all these levels.

These last two days were, by contrast, excellent. Smart people, eager to learn, neither intimidated by nor overly impressed by titles and positions, who all got to work with each other and have great and interesting conversations.

Tiring, and long days indeed, but those are the times when I really wouldn’t trade this job for anything, including full time poetizing — I really think I’m one of those who needs another discipline to keep me from sticking my head too far up my own ass — or in an oven (see previous entry, heh heh…)

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Switching subjects — I’m still feeling ok. The ability to manage my own meds in a limited window has made a huge difference in the side effects — I’m doing 600 mg of Lithium for two days and 900 for one, then back to 600 for two, etc. –and it seems to be working without affecting the therapeutic effects.

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Finally getting back into self-promo mode — about to send inquiries to a couple of venues including the Nuyorican; also need to settle dates for DC/Baltimore tonight.

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I’m temporarily shelving Fugue State poems for the moment. I need more focused time I haven’t got right now. Still writing, but not these…

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OK…more later, maybe.