Welcome Back

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends. We’re so glad you could attend, come inside, come inside.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Starting a new job is never easy. It is a mixture of anxiety and excitement. One may have a bit of guilt mixed in because of the sacrifices needed to be made to make starting the new job possible. This past week, I ventured out of the house and back into the world of office-work feeling a multitude of emotional reactions. Even wondering if what I was doing was a good idea.  

Should I have left a job where I had complete freedom because I was trusted, for a step up the career ladder where I would be micromanaged? Should I have left a job where I could work from home for a job out in the still problematic pandemic world. It had been a year since I rode the light rail; would it be the same, would I be safe, and most importantly would I be able to get off at the right stop? I am here to report that the security on the light rail seems to have decreased, but that most people do follow the mask mandate while on the rail. Most people also maintain some distance from those around them. There have been a few instances where I did not feel 100% comfortable because masks were either not worn or taken off once they sat down around me. However, knowing I was vaccinated made me feel a bit more relaxed. If I contracted COVID I would not die, nor would my family, if I did unknowing bring it home.  

There was one instance on my ride home that I had to get off a few stops early because police boarded the train to confront a man threating those who did wear masks. He stood on the seats, like a soap box preacher, and proclaimed his belief that the pandemic was a hoax and applauded those who stormed the capital on January 6th as true patriots. He gave the passengers five minutes, or he would remove their masks for them. That did not go over well with the majority of fellow passengers and lead to the call for security. His countdown was drowned out by the people yelling at the man to get off the train. When the uniformed officers of the law entered our car, I got off.  Curiosity killed the cat as I recall, and I have a better use of my time. Needless to say, the light rail has not changed. 

My first week at the new job was spending time in a classroom learning about the organization and the fundamental information needed to be successful. I was comforted knowing that employee safety was a number one priority, and every measure was taken to keep employees safe in and out of the classroom. Since I had previous experience working with the organization I wasn’t too worried about passing the end of the week test on a plethora of reading and lecture assignments. My personal quirk of never wanting to fail a test lead, as always, to making note cards, highlighting and memorizing all I could, in order, to ace the test.

There was one glaring failure during the week. On Friday the Test Day, construction required that the water to our building be shut off. My discovery meant I did not have access to drinking water, to the soothing sound of the entry fountain where I ate lunch, to water to wash my hands thoroughly for 2 minutes, or to the water that moves my pee and poop downstream. At my reportage, the bathrooms were closed and locked for the day. As a person who needs to drink plenty of water due to constant thirst and being exposed to Arizona heat, this was not something I wanted. I also am someone who when I get anxious, I must urinate frequently. “Test Day was going to be a long day,” I thought.  

I discovered the no water situation because I happened to be the first person in the building that needed to utilize the facilities. My stomach was making noises as I entered the foyer.  I ran into the nearest bathroom and took care of business. I felt relieved and ready to focus on the day ahead. However, that feeling only lasted for a split second because I soon realized the toilet was not flushing nor could I get water to wash my germ covered hands. 

I telephoned the building maintenance department and reported the water outage at the entry restrooms. I was informed about the street construction and that staff was going to post signs and lock the bathrooms for the rest of the day.  

I mentioned the imposition to our instructor who suggest we could use a gas station located a few miles away. At 8 in the morning that did not seem like an issue, but by noon the jug of lemon water I drank throughout the morning had been screened for all of the minerals my body could use and, by midday, had some left over to dispose of. Not having a car, getting to a gas station a few miles away seem impractical. I panicked. I reached out to past coworkers to see if I could use the restroom at their office during lunch or if they had the water shut off as well. I was relieved emotionally not physically to know that their restrooms were open. I was able to walk a few blocks to the rail station and jump a ride North two stops to my old office, punch in the secret code, do my business, and then wash my hands. I was back in time for the Friday Test and forgot to worry about passing it because I was so busy minding nature’s call.  

As I sat in “my seat” (the first row, first section, facing the direction of travel) I could hear the universe whispering, “Welcome Back Z, to the ‘real’ world”.  

For those wondering about the Friday Test, despite having to deal with the added anxiety of no restrooms and walking in the rain to use one, missing an afternoon hydration, and eating lunch on my way home. I did pass with 52/52. 

Moral: 1) Don’t take even the little things for granted. 2) Always expect the unexpected.  

Please feel free to share your comments below or at zsmisadventures@gmail.com.