I drove home from work for
a while worrying about what I would write about for my first post on this blog. Then
one day, I drove home knowing exactly what I was going to write about.
I sat in a meeting that day, in a
room with three other women. We were discussing the particulars for a project I
had to complete. At one point in the meeting, one of the women said, “Hey, it
could be worse. We could be outside, digging poop trenches.” I responded by
saying, “Sometimes, I would rather be doing that.” I don’t think they took me
seriously.
The thing is, I was serious.
While I sometimes appreciate the fact that my job requires me to sit at a desk
for the majority of the workweek, there are days where I struggle with it. I often have to convince myself
that what I’m doing makes a tiny difference in the world. That the webinar I’m helping my
company advertise will actually help the lawyers at non-profits that we’re
trying to reach fight harder for the things in which they believe. That day in
the meeting, I realized that sometimes I would rather be digging “poop
trenches.” I sat in that meeting and thought about the struggles that women
throughout the world face on a daily basis just by trying to get clean water.
The risks they face when they’re forced to use non-potable water. All that for
something that is considered by the UN as a basic human right.
So no, digging poop trenches
isn’t glamorous, but sometimes I’d rather be doing that than sitting in a chair
staring at a computer screen, doing nothing. Wouldn’t you?
I feel like that almost every day
ReplyDeleteI actually feel like this a lot. Often I feel like there is so much diplomacy and red tape to deal with even to get through basic, mundane things at work, that rarely is anything meaningful accomplished, even though on paper, we have the resources to do incredible things. I don't know what the answer is. Or if it is just ennui! I guess it is at least helpful to know you are not alone!
ReplyDeleteIronically, yesterday was World Toilet Day. I feel like there is a difference between motivating yourself and trying to make yourself seem "better" than someone else. We may have nice living environment and food security, but as you point out... that does not seem very significant if you feel without purpose or meaning.
ReplyDelete"World Toilet Day hopes to increase awareness about the need for basic sanitation and to teach people about better practices."
http://worldtoiletday.org/