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Oh, Wonderlings.
I have returned home from Costa Rica where Karen and I had the most amazing time. We laughed as we explored the rain forest, made new friends (of both the animal and human variety), and bonded like we never have before. Over eleven days, we journeyed to five different cities, all celebrating Costa Rica’s success in the World Cup.
When I was younger, I recited the Pledge of Allegiance in school every day. I didn’t really know what it meant or how significant of a promise it was, but I stood with my hand over my heart and uttered those 31 words while looking up at the American flag. As I’ve gotten older, I finally realize what those words mean and how important loyalty is.
Loyalty is a quality to be admired and sought after. We look for mates who promise to be faithful and devoted. We lean on our friends who’ve “got our backs” when we need a little support. We praise pets, particularly dogs, for being by our side through thick and thin. We expect people to be loyal, but what about companies?
Every other Tuesday, I have the luxury of rolling out of bed and working from my “office” in the living room. It’s a pretty sweet set-up that has me bare-faced and properly attired in lounge pants and a sweatshirt. On these days, since I have no co-workers to chat with, I pop in movie after movie to add a little background noise to an otherwise quiet day.
For whatever reason, a lot of the time I resort to watching cartoons. Being the Disney fanatic that I am, I have practically all of the “classic films” of my childhood. And of course there are the Pixar tales as well. It’s nice to have films that I have watched time and time again that I don’t have to pay attention to anymore. I can work on spreadsheets and reports without being worried that I’m going to miss something. There’s nothing to miss… I can recite almost all of these movies from start to finish without much effort. And I still thoroughly enjoy each viewing.
After watching 101 Dalmatians and Lady and the Tramp today, I got to thinking about my favorite Disney animated films. There are just so many things that I have wondered about since I was a little girl and even more that I’ve considered as an adult.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to Mentor Spotlight Week!
Inspired by my awesome mentor in all things, this week I will be sharing with you Wonderlings some of the Fonz’s obsessions, his words of wisdom, and maybe even a post from the man himself. I hope you all enjoy the first themed week of Defining Wonderland.
But before we begin with Mentor Spotlight Week, let me tell you about the beginning of our mentorship.
When I started at my job four years ago, the Fonz was one of the people I had to check in with. Being escorted from office to office and meeting with dozens of new people, I don’t remember our first encounter. I guess it’s good that he at least didn’t make a bad first impression.
The Most Interesting Mentor in the World.
My desk was situated outside of the business director’s office and the Fonz, being another manager, would frequently meet with the business director. Over time, our small pleasantries turned into sarcastic conversations about anything and everything. This was a man who not only got my sick sense of humor, but had one even more twisted than my own. Also, he could keep up on the pop culture references with an impressive knowledge of movies, music, and television shows. He thinks he’s the white Shaft for crying out loud! After a lengthy conversation about The Rocky Horror Picture Show, I suggested that he show up at the building Halloween party dressed as Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Luckily, he didn’t take me up on my suggestion. That would have just been wrong. So, so wrong.
I am the first to admit that I can be a crappy friend. However, I think that part of my problem is that I cannot accept when friends behave in ways that I deem crappy. Behold, three tips to be less crappy.
Don’t keep people waiting.
My wonderful mentor once told me that “people who keep others waiting make it clear that their time is much more important than anyone else’s.” I agree with this statement to a certain degree. I don’t believe that people run on perfect inner clocks and are never tardy to appointments. However, I find it increasingly rude when the same people are consistently running late.
I have a friend who cannot arrive at a place on time if her life depended on it. Every time we hang out, I am guaranteed to wait, often in the cold, for at least twenty minutes before she shows up. She almost always pushes back plans to a later time and will still show up late. One time, I took her out for dinner to celebrate her birthday. Not only did she keep me waiting for over two hours after she insisted she was on her way, but then she dashed off to meet her boyfriend before I could even buy her dessert. It’s so completely frustrating because she is fully aware of the problem so I feel like it would be pointless to say anything. I have read in magazines that it is useful to turn the tables and keep this particular type of friend waiting so she will understand how annoying it is. I have tried this tactic, leaving my place at the time when I should be arriving at the agreed upon location, but it’s no use; I will still be kept waiting.
I hope those of you who had a long holiday weekend enjoyed wonderful days filled with laughter and great people. I know I did.
You can’t beat finding the perfect piece of art for an empty room or laughing with family while soaking up the sun at the beach or getting some much-needed deep-cleaning done throughout your home. A truly happy weekend prepared me for the start of September, the busiest time of year in my office. Though I’m not looking forward to the weekends spent at work or parties I will miss because I have to wake up early for status meetings the next day, I feel ready for this month.
That is, ready for it to be over.
I used to love the ninth month of the year. It symbolized new beginnings, the arrival of cooler temperatures, and the return of favorite TV shows. Now, September means heightened stress levels, tension among co-workers, a blackout on vacation time, and an increase in the consumption of crappy foods over the next thirty days. Add all that to my organization going through a poorly planned merger and the departure of many co-workers and you can understand why I can’t wait to see the harvest festivities of October.
You’re singing the song, aren’t you?
Have any of you ever realized how freakin’ tiny this world is? And no, not in the Disney ride kind of way where animatronic figures sing in several different languages and embrace their differing ethnicities. I’m talking about meeting a random person who is somehow connected to your life or someone in it.
There have been so many instances in the last six months that have made me realize that the world is much smaller than I could have possibly realized.
