Part of Being Superhuman is Being Human
There is a distinct line between professional life and personal life. That is at least what I used to believe. I made a point of keeping the two parts of my life separate. If I may be so blunt, that is just stupid. When you go meet new clients (who are also people), do you ask about their hit rate on proposals, or do you ask them if they have kids and/or pets?
We all want to connect as human beings. And when you go to work during the day, your kids and family don’t stop being a part of your life. Likewise, as much as we try to stop it, we think about work when we are at home around the dinner table or out on weekends. If you are lucky like I am, my partner and I are both in the same industry, so we never really turn the clock off (we love what we do so we love talking about it!).
Today we had to say goodbye to our dog, our first baby. Skyler had been with us for 15 years and we have been through so much together! After we had to say goodbye this morning, I have been broken all day. I cry uncontrollably and everything reminds me of him. My instinct is to say “personal is personal, keep it out of your work life”, but can we do that? True, I am taking most of today to grieve, but do I think I will just turn that off tomorrow? It will follow me and be a part of my life. I will be sad tomorrow as I go out on my site visits, and that is okay.
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In the construction industry, I feel like we try to project what we want others to see. We want to put up guards, act tough, and tell people that we really are superhuman. But we need to be honest with ourselves and with others: we are human and have a personal life and feelings. THAT IS A GOOD THING! When we connect personally, we build stronger bonds, work becomes more enjoyable, and we are more committed to that person in work. Opening yourself up to others is part of having a professional relationship, but more importantly, it is another part of being human.
As for tomorrow, if anyone says “it was just a dog”, I will punch them in the throat. Just a warning.
Industrial Hygiene Practice Leader at F&R; I help you protect people and property throughout the process of property acquisition, development, and use.
1yPets can definitely become part of the family and loss of a family member is always hard. There is a part of me that still feels like it is missing for each of my good dogs.
Green advocate, people connector and champion of orange
1yLove your heart, Nadine. Skyler was a lucky dog.