On the Lift

Yesterday I drove to work. I try to avoid this on a day shift because there is NO PARKING FOR PEONS. You have to work here for 12 years before you get day time parking privileges, but thanks to my lovely husband, I rarely have to do this because he drops me off.

Anyway, on my 2 mile hike in I passed an auto repair garage, and envied this man standing by one of the open garages. Positioned at the rear fender of the car, he was raising the car up on the lift while taking sips from his steaming cup of coffee. At that moment I realized how much I missed knowing what was going to happen during my work day.

Since I started nursing I have always worked in the float pool. I never know where I'm going to be assigned until I arrive at the staffing office 10 minutes before my shift starts. Which I've always convinced myself has been "fun". Now, I even have a separate shift where all I do is carry a pager all day. I get paged when needed to help get patients to tests, cover a break here and there, help when a floor gets slammed with admits, etc. It's called "resource". I don't know what to expect all day. Again convincing myself it's a nice "change of pace", until yesterday morning. I found myself longing for the days I sat in front of a computer screen, looking at whatever meetings were scheduled, and having a list of what I needed to get done, and knowing all of this the night before. The week before. Even the month before. Very routine, yes, but also there is something reassuring and calming about having a predictable day. That being said, if I went back to that desk job, I'd surely find something to complain about soon after starting. Never fails. I was just caught off guard with that mechanic. I hadn't realized how much I have been talking myself into the idea that working a 8-12hr shift of unpredictable constant change is good for me in my career.