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Jan. 4, 2011 In a few weeks, I will be leaving my job of 18 ½ years (but who’s counting). I have been employed in the same office of the Federal government for all those years. Hired under the Outstanding Scholar Program after I graduated college at age 45, I was fortunate to get a financially secure position. I moved slightly up the ranks as a matter of doing a job well done, but never had real opportunities to advance because I was never in the right place at the right time nor did I know the right people. It was just as well because I would have made a terrific manager and my agency wouldn’t have known what to do with “that” kind of personnel. A prerequisite for being a manager is to definitely NOT be a people person, so I would have certainly failed on that count. Plus, I would have engaged employees and encouraged a balance of work, home life and fun. I would have rewarded good employees too and that is a foreign concept to many of us not in the inner circle. Actually, on many days, I was an underworked, overpaid government employee. You know, the kind private industry employees make fun of………….. At least my job allowed me to become versed in so many other areas like writing, researching, travelling and shopping. Yes, I have used my computer to shop and travel. Trip advisor became my lunchtime companion as did USA Today and Amazon.com. If they had ever taken away my internet capability, I would have had to leave long ago. Like many of my coworkers, I could have learned how to take good naps all these years. Could have become addicted to soap operas and stashed the small TVs secretly away in my desk drawer, opening the drawer slightly to view. Could have watch DVDs on the computer. But, alas, those weren’t my things to do in the office. One of the important things I meant to do while employed was to write a comic strip called “Federal Follies.” It might have been a big hit here in the Nation’s Capital where federal agencies have run rampant. The only thing I needed was an illustrator. I certainly was armed with enough comic (and tragic) material for the average newspaper reader as well as comedians. Plus, I had the opportunity to ride the Metro daily and that gave me tons of material for yet another comedic book. Don’t get me wrong. I was and am still a great employee and THERE are a few others in various agencies. I always got my work done well and ahead of schedule. I was a “team player” and a really nice person to work with. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to help my fellow coworkers—least of which was to use my counseling expertise. If only I had been an English teacher as well!! Since I am under the rather new Federal retirement system (FERS), I won’t have to feel badly about ripping off the taxpayers any longer as my retirement will hardly keep me at Starbucks. That, combined with my enormous Social Security check and meager Thrift savings fund, will hardly allow me to cover the mortgage. However, I must admit that the many other employees I leave behind should back Obama and leave just to help the Federal deficit. Granted, Obama did call a halt to yearly increases in Federal salaries for a couple of years, but he should take a look at the employees who pull down five figure bonuses and climb the GS ladder without merit--let alone their six figure salaries. Could Federal government agencies survive with one-half the employees they currently have? You betcha they could (forgive me Sarah)! Employees might actually fill their 8-9 hour shifts working. Okay, so some employees would have to give up the private businesses that they run during the workday from Federal computers, printers and phones. Some might even have to come to work on time and skip lunchtime shopping (out of the agency, that is).
But, alas by the end of December, I will have helped Obama for a
short time until my replacement is found. In fact, I am thinking that they
might even need two people to accomplish all I have done so there goes the
deficit! And, will I miss this place? Yes, I will miss some of the people and
the customers I have served over the years. I will not miss my commute or
management. One big part of my life is ending, but hopefully another will be
beginning.
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