W
WildernessWildChild
Guest
"Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn't know you left open." -John Barrymore
Quite some time ago I took on a position at work that most tend to avoid (it's safety related) in addition to my regular job duties. It's something I truly believe in so putting in my own time on occasion to write reports or study up on something I didn't know much about hasn't been an issue to me.
The rewards have been amazing. Totally unexpected but incredibly appreciated.
1). Respect- I've recently discovered a lot of my co-workers respect me because I'm true to my word. I stick up for them during incident investigations, I get back to them regarding safety concerns, and they've realized I'm the guy in the background who'll speak up when they need someone to back them. Even more interesting is that management (for the most part anyway- lol) feel comfortable dealing with me as I don't trot out union rhetoric or attitude (labour law supersedes everything in my opinion).
2). Learning- the exposure I've had to different parts of the industry I'm in adds to my knowledge-base constantly. I've never been a drone who wants to do the same thing day after day....my curiosity and energy at 47 constantly surprises people.
3). Opportunities- I had no idea how much people watch what you're doing until this last week. Apparently my reports and investigations have caught a lot of attention. I was recently asked to step up my contribution to the safety side of things (completely devote one day of the four I work to it) as a part of my job description. There's seminars and courses they've asked me to attend....I was able to negotiate a couple of things that'll further my career opportunities as well. Things are getting interesting.
4). Romance- I saved the best for last. I found myself in a meeting with a very intriguing lady last April. My manner and attitude made a huge impression on her, she patiently waited about five weeks before seeing me again to ask for my number- she was completely amused at my surprise (I honestly thought she was married). I'm not going to get into details but since we started dating at the beginning of June I've found passion, excitement, compatibility, and enthusiasm. I've also dropped almost 30 pounds and getting back to being lean. It's been surprising to me that this gorgeous lady was so attracted to me- she wants me to have facial hair, she loves my hair always being messy, and she didn't care that I was packing a few extra pounds.
This isn't an attempt to say "Hey, look at me, I'm doing awesome....", I simply wanted to add something of a positive nature to the forum. A year ago I was in a dark place, life seemed empty, and the only thing I had to look forward to was my time with Kid. My life has changed dramatically since then, particularly in the last couple of months simply because I dared do something with no expectation of personal gain.
Simply mind blowing!
Quite some time ago I took on a position at work that most tend to avoid (it's safety related) in addition to my regular job duties. It's something I truly believe in so putting in my own time on occasion to write reports or study up on something I didn't know much about hasn't been an issue to me.
The rewards have been amazing. Totally unexpected but incredibly appreciated.
1). Respect- I've recently discovered a lot of my co-workers respect me because I'm true to my word. I stick up for them during incident investigations, I get back to them regarding safety concerns, and they've realized I'm the guy in the background who'll speak up when they need someone to back them. Even more interesting is that management (for the most part anyway- lol) feel comfortable dealing with me as I don't trot out union rhetoric or attitude (labour law supersedes everything in my opinion).
2). Learning- the exposure I've had to different parts of the industry I'm in adds to my knowledge-base constantly. I've never been a drone who wants to do the same thing day after day....my curiosity and energy at 47 constantly surprises people.
3). Opportunities- I had no idea how much people watch what you're doing until this last week. Apparently my reports and investigations have caught a lot of attention. I was recently asked to step up my contribution to the safety side of things (completely devote one day of the four I work to it) as a part of my job description. There's seminars and courses they've asked me to attend....I was able to negotiate a couple of things that'll further my career opportunities as well. Things are getting interesting.
4). Romance- I saved the best for last. I found myself in a meeting with a very intriguing lady last April. My manner and attitude made a huge impression on her, she patiently waited about five weeks before seeing me again to ask for my number- she was completely amused at my surprise (I honestly thought she was married). I'm not going to get into details but since we started dating at the beginning of June I've found passion, excitement, compatibility, and enthusiasm. I've also dropped almost 30 pounds and getting back to being lean. It's been surprising to me that this gorgeous lady was so attracted to me- she wants me to have facial hair, she loves my hair always being messy, and she didn't care that I was packing a few extra pounds.
This isn't an attempt to say "Hey, look at me, I'm doing awesome....", I simply wanted to add something of a positive nature to the forum. A year ago I was in a dark place, life seemed empty, and the only thing I had to look forward to was my time with Kid. My life has changed dramatically since then, particularly in the last couple of months simply because I dared do something with no expectation of personal gain.
Simply mind blowing!
