Work and Stess
I just read yet another article that lists the most stressful jobs that pay poorly. Although I am not employed, I do work - hard. True, the fall is my "down time" when I'm not as busy, but the other 9 months more than make up for it. I'm not complaining mind you. I love what I do. If I didn't, I wouldn't do it. I'd go out and get a job and have some more money in my pocket. As it is, I'm broke - always, but I'm happy.
That's not to say that I don't get stressed out. I do. A lot of the time. I don't worry about "stuff" that I can't control, which is most everything, but most of my work involves people and we all know how difficult people can be.
It was funny reading this list because I find myself in 3 of the top 10 positions. Here is what I do ...
Special Events Coordinator
Median pay: $35,900
% who say their job is stressful: 75%
I coordinate trips to the Rez and I coordinate the REZonate Music Fest. I am VERY GRATEFUL for a wonderful team of people who work hard on REZonate, but I'm the person who is ultimately responsible - which means I get all the glory at times and all the crap at other times. That's OK with me. I know I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing even if not everyone "gets it".
Fundraiser
Median pay: $42,700
% who say their job is stressful: 67%
Again, this is me. I HATE this job. I wish I were a multi-millionaire so I could just pay for all the ministry stuff and be done with it. I'd MUCH rather just give my own money than to ask people for theirs, but I don't have that much. Its the part of my "job" that I truly HATE. By the way ... these folks may $42,700 a year?? Hmm...
Minister
Median pay:$45,300
% who say their job is stressful: 71%
OK, I'm not a licensed or ordained minister. I'm not even an employed minister. But I am married to one and like it or not - that makes me a part of it. I like it OK. My church is fantastic for allowing me to be who I am. I am NOT your typical pastor's wife. I'm not even your typical Associate Pastor's wife. My church makes it pretty easy .... BUT .... I could really do without all the people who get their panties in a bunch over really stupid, petty things and then threaten "I'm just going to leave the church". I hate that. Its so manipulative and immature. I want to say - "GO AHEAD, nobody's standing in your way. Let me get that door for you on your way out". By the way, its my experience that people who say they're going to leave the church are just using that as a manipulation tactic to get whatever it is they want. People who leave the church, just leave it. They don't threaten to. The act of threatening to do so blows these folks cover and shows that they really want things to go their way and will use manipulation to get it. There are all kinds of reasons to leave a church - some good and some bad but throwing this threat around is a sure sign that this is a person who is going to be a problem wherever they go - may as well go be somebody else's problem. I know, we should be patient and loving and all that. There's a big difference in loving somebody and enabling their immaturity.
I've had jobs before. I've done everything from work at Cinnabon to drive a bread truck to working retail. My last job was taking care of two developmentally disabled women. It was a hoot. Really. I loved the job but management made it miserable. I have stories about this job ... many of them are somewhere on this blog. Take care of a 30 year old, severely retarded, bi-polar, schizophrenic person sometime - its a hoot. Oh and that was just ONE of the ladies I took care of.
So ...what was your most stressful job?
And when Logan graduated from the Criminal Justice program at Butler Tech, instead of a traditional cake I made a doughnut tower. It seemed fitting for a future cop in training. I think somebody got to it before this pic was taken but you get the idea...























































