SueWorks

The Shape of Things

You simply need to visit Los Angeles between now and February 20.  Furious , a small, independent and daring Theatre Company, is staging Neil LaBute's "The Shape of Things."  If you've ever wondered about the intersection of art and psychology this is the play for you.  I can't say more, you have to see it for yourself.

What I want to focus on is the ability and drive to live the life your choose.  I worked with the founders of the company.  They were great employees and managers who knew they were even better directors, actors, and stage managers.  You can read all about them for yourself.  They came to the neo-mecca of entertainment and are making art their life.  This is challenging and amazing. 

I think of the shape of my life as the result of all my previous decisions.  Where I am today is the product of a series of questions answered or not, roads taken or not.  Boy, do I wish this wasn't the case.  I'd much prefer to think that I've been manipulated by "others" and "forced" into places and situations that I'd prefer not to be in.  On the one hand, I want to be a powerful force, both for myself and for others.  But I sometimes want to abdicate all power, crawl into bed and hide my mind under the warm, soft covers.  In another world, another time and with some creativity, I might have been Sylvia Plath.

So ends another week in the life of SueWorks.  For all intents and purposes the first month of 2005 is over, which means that the first quarter is gone.  And if one quarter is down then half a year is bye-bye.  What have I done with 2005? 

The Shape of Things is well.  The things are tittering or tottering a bit.  The shape is firm and getting firmer.

Spam, Spam Go Away, Come Again Another Day -- NOT!

Typepad's comment notification emails are not getting to me.  I've emailed Typepad, they say it's AOL.  AOL sent me a laundry list of things I need to do to my configuration to ensure I will get these notifications. 

In the meantime, I have to check my blog to see if anyone has deigned to comment.  And then I can't easily reply back to the commenter.  Well, at least I have something to blog about.

Spam is just one thing about the Internet I do not understand.  I recall being a computer savant in the late 80's.  People came to me with problems and black screens.  Now I'm hopeless.  It's become a full-time job and I guess that is why companies have IT departments.  Craig (the hubby) has become a self-taught, trial and error systems guy.  Truth be told, I try to keep him away from my PC.  The "error" part scares me.  When I have a problem, I go to Task Manager and pray the system will close down.  When I turn the system back on, I pray yet again that all the "whatevers" will happen and I'll be able to access the files or programs I need.  So far, so good.  Knock on wood.

Now, if I can only eliminate Spam from the known universe. 

Personal Space

I have great needs for personal space.  I generally do not like to be hugged while at work and I definitely do not like to be hugged by strangers.  That actually happened, and I'm still creeped out about it. 

A few months ago, we were in Washington DC visiting the big Catholic cathedral.  (It's very nice, you should see it, religious, fallen, or never been.)  The security guard welcomed us to the lower level of the structure.  I really don't recall what he said, the hug blocked everything out.  He was older and smelled alright.  The hug was generally platonic in nature.  But still!  He got into my space. 

I saw someone being hugged today and I didn't "feel the love" on the huggee's part.  I wrote once about not hugging back, but that is another story.  In the recently observed scenario, the huggee gave a half-hearted shoulder pat to the hugger.  The hugger was totally oblivious. 

We need to gather together and defend our rights to personal space.  If we don't do it we'll become French and end up kissing each other three or four times each and every time we run into someone in the hallway.  It will cut deeply into productivity on two counts.  First, all the time spent kissing and second, sick time off due to the easy spread of colds.  Yuck!  It's just not worth it. 

I think when a hug has become the new handshake there are problems.  Deep serious, mental problems. 

Email Etiquette

We all use email, especially at work.  I send and receive volumes of email daily and one question haunts my mind.  Is it proper etiquette to reply to every message one receives? 

For example, I'm having problem loading an eLearning program.  I sent an email to the owner of this program.  She sent me the information I needed; there was a MS system glitch (of course) and a work-around.  Now do I write back with an email that says, "Thank you"?

It's the proper thing to do, but it seems silly.  Perhaps I'm essentially a rude person, but I think about the server space for each "thank you."  Don't even get me started on the "you're welcome."  And it is You Are Welcome.  "Your welcome" can be followed with "was a great introduction to the business."

Smarts: Book v Street

The Donald proved that a high school education is far superior in the launching of a new burger at Burger King.  So, what does that do for me and my urge to go back to school.  I'm feeling like Kwame.  I make missteps and think that education will bring me back to focus. 

Truth, it doesn't.  You need to have focus and direction and then make use of your education.  If you look towards the learning experience to enlighten you, you can easily become distracted and drawn to the latest fad of your teacher.  How is that teaching you to think?  It's learning how to be a parrot.  Not good!

Gender Politics

I have trouble working with women.  Or so says my husband.  Actually, I'll agree with that.  When I reflect on my best and worst bosses and my best and worst co-workers there is a definite gender line. 

Is it just me or is it women in general?

Let me share another interesting tidbit about myself.  Homosexual men generally enjoy my company, and I do theirs.  Generally, lesbians (do you ever say homosexual women?) find me attractive.  Notice the use of the qualifier "generally."  Also attractive is a very broad term.

Since the world is populated by both men and women and since I am a woman, I had better figure out what the heck is my problem and get it fixed ASAP!

Help!!! Bamboo Emergency

A dear friend gave me a little bamboo plant some years ago.  It was doing OK, until a few months ago.  All of a sudden on the three branches just turned a mushy yellow.  There was no warning at all.  One morning he looked great and that evening it was Bamboo 911. 

So, now there are two.  The leaves have all fallen off.  And I don't want to admit but I think there is a bit of yellow near the bottoms of the two remaining branches.  When I get home tonight I'll put these too little guys into my pot of much larger and heartier branches.  (Is branch the right term?)

I honestly know nothing about bamboo, but I know that I will be horribly sad if these special guys ... well, I just can't say it.

Laughter and Lunch

The little gifts and joys keep rolling in. 

Today I had lunch with my Mom.  She commented that when I answered to phone to make the lunch date, that I was laughing and she was very glad to hear my laughter.  She said that I usually am upset or otherwise out of sorts when I am at work.  It's a very true statement.

What can I do to remedy that?

After the Holidays

We didn't do too much for the holidays.  I did the shopping as that is not Craig's long suit.  I "wrapped" gifts.  The gift bag is the greatest invention known to human kind.  Forget fire, electricity and clean fusion.  It's the little bag of ease that takes the cake.

Being Me

I know someone who is amazingly, incredibly, wonderfully likable.  He radiates warmth and compassion.  I don't know what goes on in his head or heart, but I would guess that the same things that people experience in his presence are the things that fill his mind and wishes. 

How does he do it?  What makes him so comfortable in his own skin?  (I heard that expression last week on ER, though I have heard it before.) 

When you are at ease with yourself, others grow soothed and are comforted.  When you are afraid, embarrassed or insecure (or all of the above), your suit does not fit right.  It bulges in the most unsightly places.  Your fears fill big pouches that hang like skin and flesh about you.  They are as palpable as 10 or 20 weights.  You wear them like the chains of Jacob Marley. 

As you may have guessed, I'm not at ease in my own suit.  My Sue Suit is either two sizes too small or three sizes too large.  I haven't figured out which, and that may be the biggest problem.  I'm not sure if I should be enlarging my presence or minimizing my stance.  I know definitely that my girth needs mitigating, that is the one thing I am positive of.

But how do I expand my mind and heart and keep my ego in check?  In other words, how do I be the best me that I can be?