I had the best time recently sharing Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s book Whole Brain Living with 26 young women, Office Administrators for financial advisor Edward Jones.
Taylor’s book explains how to tame what she calls our Character #2 – the anxious neurons that cause us worry & stress. Her book then encourages readers to get in touch with their Character #3’s – the neurons that want our bodies to be active, to get lost in the magical moments of the creative right brain. According to Taylor, “It’s the big-kid part of our brains that never grows up, loves to walk in the rain and catch the ESPN sports recaps.”
I never worked in an office, but I think I can still relate to the stress that comes from living in that world. I can definitely remember the stress that came from ridiculous state mandates, irrational parents and troubled kids when I was a teacher. And let me tell you, I’m still laughing about how my teaching colleagues and I tapped into our Character 3’s to cope with those challenges.
Not only did all of us dress up in costumes right along with the kids for Spirit Week, but we also cheered loudly for Industrial Arts teacher Donny Stephens the time he roared into the outdoor pep assembly on his Harley Davidson motorcycle -- dressed as a long- haired hippie.
Tom Baker was one of the best principals I’ve ever known. He was so professional himself, but he knew to let his staff “blow off steam.” He let us “do our thing.” But once he actually helped my Speech Class create a mud volleyball pit at the back of the school and encouraged our Faculty team to have fun spiking a muddy volleyball at the Seniors during the “Hog Wild Event.”
Oh, and the picture of 300+ pound Bruce Schrider on the last day of school speeding down the fairway in a golf cart, balancing on two wheels with Charlotte Leeth hanging on for dear life, can still make me bend over with laughter. Maybe we should have put the big orange cooler of Harvey Wallbanger on Charlotte’s side???
And the time I heard a knock at my classroom door and found Bill Karcher dressed as Santa Claus being pulled by his Vo Ag students dressed as reindeer will go down in my memory as one of the best stress relievers at Christmas time ever. You see, they were delivering “creative” Christmas presents to the Faculty. Mine??? -- Two tickets to an imaginary Chippendales show. Ha ha!
Playing Trivia Pursuit, catching fish for our Annual Fish Fry, having our own Honors Night, making breakfast together, building parade floats were just a few other fun times.
It’s true that each of us has the power to choose who and how we want to be in every moment, but it sure is great being with a group of co-workers who are willing to let go of their organized, critical, ego-centric left brains — once in a while.
Go ahead. Next time you feel some stress coming on — find some friends & have some FUN!
It’ll Be OK.
Diane Smith and me — dressing up for Famous Artist Week
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"Life is short. Drive fast and leave a sexy corpse. That's one of my mottos."
—Stanley Hudson, The Office
COMMENT: Did you ever work with a fun group of people?
Yes! I worked in a church office with people who were a variety of ages. We had some really fun field trips and retreats and the Christmas parties were off the charts. We always did a white elephant gift exchange and I'll never forget the year that our Children's pastor and her husband brought edible underwear. The story they told about the husband going into one of "those" stores for his purchase was hysterical. Everybody needs to cut loose sometimes - even church people!
Spirit week was always more fun because EVERYONE participated. Those are some good memories. I did not know about the alternate Honors Awards - this is something I may steal!