I’ll pray for your workplace, if you pray for mine: I’m half-seriously considering asking my priest if it’s possible for me to call in the diocesan exorcist!
With all the drama, intrigues, petty backbiting, and arguments over inconsequential nonsense, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if I were to go in one morning and find one colleague or another’s head spinning around and spitting up green pea soup! Or a desk or two levitating. Or, well, you get the idea.
I’m thinking of spritzing some holy water around when everyone else is at lunch some day, but haven’t done so yet. Or taping some green scapulars underneath some desks. Or something. Anything!
Can you hear my frustration?
Left to my own devices, I’d be slothful, but am known to have a very good work ethic. But because of my slothful nature, it amazes me that anyone, anyone at all, would want to expend the obvious emotional energy that these people do in getting all torqued up over nonsense, petty matters, and imagined intrigues.
The way I look at it, I’m paid to show up and do my job to the best of my ability. I do that. My employer is getting an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay. There is nothing in my job description that requires me to insert such misdirected and inordinate attachment to office politics. I am not trying to be “holier than thou” when I say that I avoid this. I just learned to use a cardinal sin (sloth) in a constructive manner. Or maybe it’s discernment. I don’t know!
Here is how I cope with the dysfunction at my worksite, though, on the serious side:
I discovered that my commute takes about three minutes longer than saying five decades of the rosary. Of course, being behind the wheel, I can’t close my eyes and actually do any serious meditation, but I figure a Morning Offering and five decades of the rosary, prayed vocally, couldn’t hurt. And as I pull in the parking lot I recite the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel. I certainly can use some “defense in battle” for my peace of mind! And as insane as these folks can be at work, I do offer a prayer of gratitude for having a decent job with a great opportunity to be helpful and glorify God.
At lunchtime I sneak into the ladies room and offer the Angelus. I know Mary will understand that I don’t have a more suitable place to do this. After all, She brought forth the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity in a stable! Our ladies’ room is pretty antiseptic compared to that!
When my colleagues are getting too annoying, I smile to myself and offer up my paper cuts, my scratched out notes, my swiped pens, and my distractions for the poor souls in purgatory. Then I purposely smile at them and try to be as pleasant and helpful as possible. I’ve even told a few of them who have been nearly apoplectic about something or another, “God bless you!” They never seem to know what to do with that, but they usually go away, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, either, for me, anyways!
A few of them seem to think I’m some kind of religious nut or something. I really don’t care. They might be hearing a message that will take root and grow years from now. And if they truly think I’m crazy, and leave me alone (so I can do my work without interference,) so much the better! Anyways, there are far worse nuts out there than “religious nuts!”
I do have a couple of Catholic co-workers, and we take great delight in supporting each other, and calling each other to some accountability. Anyways, we’re the only ones who “get it” when one of us is having a rough day, and another bucks them up by saying something like “ad majorem Dei gloriam,” or even. “offer it up!” It’s almost like a “secret club.”
After work, I hightail it to Adoration for half an hour or so. I get to spend some time with the King of the Universe, right there in front of me, plain as the nose on my face, and can tell Him of all my trials and tribulations. I can look at that crucifix, and realize that my own personal cross is made of popsicle sticks in comparison! I can kneel there in adoration for all that He has so richly blessed me with, even though sometimes my job can be a martyrdom of paper cuts.
I thank God for the workday, and thank Him that it’s OVER! I usually stay for Mass if I don’t have any pressing family responsibilities that evening. Getting to Adoration and quitting time Mass is one of the high points of my week. I feel downright cheated if I haven’t made time to get there.
Even if you leave spirituality out of the equation entirely, it’s certainly better than happy hour or battling rush hour traffic out of the city.
Hmmm–come to think of it, an hour or so spent with Jesus IS happy hour!
Hmmm–didn’t Jesus say, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest?”
