oh the irony!

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I'm a receptionist at an accounting firm. I hate it, but it's a means to an end at this point. Anyway, I have this boss who is under the impression that he can do nothing for himself. Nothing. Example: Last year, his father is 95 years old. He's pretty active still for his age, and thinks he's the funniest old man around. Sometimes he is. Other times...he's not. Anway, he had written about 50 of what he called "Relief Society Lessons." Basically little anecdotes or talks or lessons with scriptures that he had composed himself. He wanted to put them into a book someday to give to his posterity (or posterior, as my dad would say). Cute, right? Highly personal. Well, apparently it wasn't personal enough for my boss to put it together himself. For months, he would ask me how the book was coming. I had to edit, format, find a cover, find a printer, coordinate with the printer, troubleshoot, and revise the entire thing. And the worst part was, my boss would find something wrong with it, no matter what I did. So this process took forever. Nightmare. Finally, Christmastime was rolling around last year, and I mentioned to my boss that it would be great to be able to give the book out to his relatives has a present from his father. He agreed and I was finally able to tell the printer to print. Yes, me. The whole dang thing. Ask me if he gave me a copy? Ask me if he gave them out for Christmas? Ask me if he's still got the boxes of them sitting in his office. Yeah. I'm not a fan of this man in anyway.

Here comes the irony. After making my big declaration yesterday, in walks my boss, with two boxes of girl scout cookies, and two plastic plates. "Becky, ole buddy, ole pal, ole friend," he says, grating on my nerves. This is the phrase he uses when he wants something. Which is often. So I hear this phrase all the time. And it's pretty much a task that is too menial for him to perform. "My wife sent these with me for everyone to share. Would you mind setting them out on these plates for me in the break room?" I complied, with the insta-hate rising. Yes, there is such a thing, and I’m trying to rise above it, but he is just the most obnoxious man…Anyway, there I was, setting out delicious cookies, smelling the donuts that were sitting on the counter already (our office is full of obesity, don’t worry), and I thought, “No good deed goes unpunished.” I proudly abstained, my mouth leaking saliva. My body is screaming yes, and I’m determined to scream that much louder. The funny thing is, people haven’t brought treats in for a while, but I should have expected it today. I should have known that throwing my intentions out into the universe would create an immediate equal and opposite reaction.

We talked about it at school last night. The moment you decide to do something, you’ve also created a reaction to that decision. We were talking about stress, and the positive, neutral, and negative responses we can have to stressors, and how we as massage therapists can break that cycle. It’s a pretty amazing concept. Anyway, when we make a choice to commit to something incredible, there will always be an obstacle or challenge to that commitment that is just as incredible. I'm saying I should have expected those baked goods. (I really want to start calling them ‘baked bads.) I should have known that P. would accidentally throw out the food I had cooked yesterday morning for my lunch this afternoon, in his valiant cleaning of the fridge. I should have known I would get the greatest massage ever last night, only to be rendered useless and sore this morning, on top of running late. The reasoning is that I just committed to something incredible. So the obstacles are just going to keep building. But this time, I’m going to win.
Because I’ve got you. Yes, you. Whoever you are, reading this blog, you are keeping me on the wagon. No falling off over here. I have had so many marvelous responses to my post yesterday, and I feel as though thanks are in order. I didn’t know I had so many people on my side, and I had no idea that once I vocalized a need, you would respond. I can’t believe how blessed I am with such astoundingly wonderful family and friends. Thank you. I really and truly and full-of-clichés couldn’t do this without you.

“A sacred burden is this life ye bear: look on it, lift it, bear it solemnly,

Stand up and walk beneath it steadfastly.

Fail not for sorrow, falter not for sin, but onward, upward, till the goal ye win.” – Frances Anne Kemble