http://www.riehlife.com/2007/01/13/dont-sell-your-soul-to-the-company-store/ Creating connections through the arts and across cultures Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:30:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.riehlife.com/2007/01/13/dont-sell-your-soul-to-the-company-store/comment-page-1/#comment-4844 Fran Ransley Mon, 13 Apr 2009 01:41:37 +0000 http://sightlinesbook.com/2007/01/13/dont-sell-your-soul-to-the-company-store/#comment-4844 I meant to comment on this earlier. Selling your soul is insidious. Despite concentrated attempts to shut out my professional life at 5:00 pm, I found myself thinking constantly about my social service clients, in the evening while I was in the garden and doing chores, at night in dreams, and especially on Sunday evening as I frantically ran about trying to finish all my weekend projects and summon up the energy to contemplate Monday. No amount of meditation or social distractions could get rid of this constant cloud hanging over my personal time. The worst was when I went to a party and someone would recognize me as their friend/neighbor/ relative's social worker and start talking to me about issues pertaining to their case, or the program in general. "I can't discuss this with you now. Call me Monday," did not often deter them. Just about as bad was in the grocery store or at Wal Mart I would see clients who swore at the home visit that they were wheelchair bound and couldn't walk a step, but were walking around unassisted. Or even worse, seeing these same people at music events, dancing! I am so thankful to be retired and finally to have possession of my own soul!! I meant to comment on this earlier. Selling your soul is insidious. Despite concentrated attempts to shut out my professional life at 5:00 pm, I found myself thinking constantly about my social service clients, in the evening while I was in the garden and doing chores, at night in dreams, and especially on Sunday evening as I frantically ran about trying to finish all my weekend projects and summon up the energy to contemplate Monday. No amount of meditation or social distractions could get rid of this constant cloud hanging over my personal time.
The worst was when I went to a party and someone would recognize me as their friend/neighbor/ relative's social worker and start talking to me about issues pertaining to their case, or the program in general. "I can't discuss this with you now. Call me Monday," did not often deter them.
Just about as bad was in the grocery store or at Wal Mart I would see clients who swore at the home visit that they were wheelchair bound and couldn't walk a step, but were walking around unassisted. Or even worse, seeing these same people at music events, dancing!
I am so thankful to be retired and finally to have possession of my own soul!!

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