August in Chicago, it is expected to be hot, but since most of the summer has been so mild, I really didn’t expect days near or surpassing 100 degrees at this late date. I was wrong. I do not have the luxury of central air conditioning. My portable units have been put to the test over the past 48 hours, so far so good. A power strip did pop, causing me momentary alarm, but I’m all good. Good, not great, it’s barely comfortable in here and the only reason sweat isn’t pouring down my face right now is because I am sitting still, in the darkness. All the shades are pulled down, certain rooms have their doors closed to try and limit the space I am attempting to cool, I am managing as well as can be expected.
It is currently 99 degrees; I believe that is a new record for this day. A day in late August when children have been told to go back to school. Now, unless the schools I went to have had AC installed, I hope class was cancelled. Back in the day, we didn’t begin the school year until after Labor Day, which makes more sense to me. We still had to deal with some hot days, but we were expected to attend class, which I did. I tend to do as I am expected, except when I dropped out of college and maybe when I went skinny dipping, but other than that…well, whatever. My point is, I’m predictable, reliable, and responsible.
Knowing that the day was going to be a scorcher, I watered my garden early this morning. I picked some newly ripened tomatoes and peppers. They were so pretty, sitting there on the kitchen counter, I had to take a picture of them. I like to take abstract photos, get up close, crop the image so I show what I want others to see. It’s hard to capture what I am seeing, what I am feeling at that exact moment. How do I convey my wonder at planting a seed and ending up with something that sustains my own person? I see all the different hues of red, yellow, and green, the details of the smooth skins and prickly hairs on the stems. I want others to see and feel the passion of the gifts my garden has provided. Odds are, they will go unnoticed because folks expect tomatoes to be red and peppers to be green and yellow. One would only notice the skin if it wasn’t smooth, if it was exceptional in some way, because life has taught us these expectations.
A young lady that works with me is friendly, organized, and detail oriented. She is the type of person who notices when a task requires attention and tends to it before I even know it needs to be done. In many respects, she is like me, a younger me, when I didn’t have the weight of leadership on my shoulders. It is my personal goal for her to know how much I admire and respect her talents and never doubt that I am fully aware of her exceptional work ethics. She likes chocolate, so on occasion, I provide her with sweet treats, but I also make certain that I verbally acknowledge how much I appreciate all that she does to sustain me and our business.
I have also let all that will listen, know how exceptional she is. Because of that, she was recently given an award for her skills. However, this recognition was only on paper. Conversations were had that did not follow protocol leading me to believe that the depths of her skill set are not truly seen nor respected. What is seen is what is obvious, what is not, is her passion, intelligence, and dedication. There are expectations about being included in a conversation that concerns my team, these expectations were not met. Fortunately, truths were revealed, as they always are, which led to certain understandings and expectations. Let it be known, that I would never prevent anyone from reaching their personal goals once revealed to me. Instead, I would only provide tools and training, guidance, and honesty. Being a leader has its expectations and I choose to honor them.
During my attempts to write this blog, the temperature has risen to 100 degrees. The fuse itself popped leading me to believe that the electrical work I had done was not as thorough as I expected. I figured out a way to reroute the power needed to keep the house good, if I don’t move. I will contact the electrician another day and express my concerns, but not today. Today is about survival, which I expect to do. Today is about expressing my thoughts and feelings, sharing my experiences and passions, about planting seeds that amazingly sustain me, on so many levels. Today is also about honoring someone I truly respect. I pick and choose my battles very carefully. Let it be known, I will go to battle, if need be, for this young lady because I do see how exceptional she is. She is not a pawn in some calculated game, but a queen or more to her liking, a dark goddess/mistress of chips with amazing stealth powers to behold.
#thelieswechoosetolivewith
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