Being Lucky

I usually don't talk about topics that are controversial, but I have to touch upon that with this post.  I am fortunate that I work for the Federal Government.  I have been a civil servant for a very long time.  I am lucky that I have a great job that I enjoy with freedom to call my own schedule.  Like every job, there are challenges and sometime, I feel discouraged.

I am currently feeling very discouraged about the government shutdown.  I feel that quite a lot of people believe that the government is either a savior or evil incarnate.  I have to say that government is made up of people like me who get up every morning and put in more than a day's work doing what I can to protect the taxes that people pay into funding the government.

I understand and live with the bureaucratic hell about where money is spent and how it is spent.  People that deserve financial help are not getting it and people that can game the system are getting funds that they don't deserve.  There is a lot wrong in the world, I feel good that I do my very small part to make things better.

I have been working without pay since October 1 because elected officials can't seem to get past their differences and make things better.  I am "lucky" in that the government feels that I am so essential that I must continue to report to work.

I get that everyone has a view they like to advance, but when people are suffering either with no health care or inequality, we all need to take a breath and advance the conversation instead of acting like it is "my way or the highway."

Something that I learned when I was a kid is that you are never going to be perfectly happy because someone else can't also be perfectly happy at the same time.  This is called compromise.  It is not throwing a tantrum and hurting people.

I had planned a vacation with my family and it took some convincing for my office to let me go.  I will be tied to my office because I still have to take phone calls and answer e-mails while I am gone.  Now because of the shutdown, I can't use my saved vacation time to go on vacation.  So now I have to figure that I will not be paid for my vacation.

I am also lucky in that my parents taught me to plan for a rainy day and not live beyond my means.  I have savings to cover me while I am not receiving a paycheck.  I am also extremely lucky in that my parents are in a good financial place and if I get into the weeds, I can always go to the bank of mom and dad for a loan.

I can admit that I am fiscally conservative and socially liberal.  I hope that there are more people like me than not and I hope that we can advanced the conversation and fix what we don't like as time goes by instead of stamping our feet and saying "no" to everything we don't like.

I have just checked in on my flight and am super lucky that I am in the "A" group.  I just love that!