Welcome to this week’s Five Minute Friday. Our instructions, via creator Kate Motaung: “Write for five minutes on the word of the week. This is meant to be a free write, which means: no editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation.” Today’s prompt: SPEAK .
When I decided to transition out of the part-time independent contractor job I have held for almost three years, I found it impossible to speak to my boss about it. She had sort of opened the door a few weeks prior as we had been talking about relief arrangements during my father-in-law’s illness, and she said, unprompted by me, “and also maybe for your permanent transition too.”
I’m not sure if she just sensed it or what
But after he passed away, it became apparent rapidly that I needed to find work where I can earn more and I’ve learned enough about myself these past three years to know I need more structure.
The thing is, I loved (still do) this place. As I said in my “job hunt” blog, it was more than a job.
Not every job has a Slack channel/Basecamp page strictly for Thanksgivings and Prayer Requests. Not that they all should, or have to, but it was fit at this place and it made a difference.
I “requested transition” via an email.
Then several other email exchanges happened.
Then things got confusing.
Probably because we never did speak!
(We eventually did, and it was a closure type conversation, one that helped me come to some emotional conclusion and peace.) I keep thinking I should have found it in me to speak rather than mail from the beginning.
I prefer writing to speaking. She (in my opinion) prefers speaking to writing. Maybe that is the crux of the problem!
Speaking conveys things (emotion, body language) that writing can’t AND forces us to figure out our message right in the moment without constant revisions. SORT of like this Five Minute Friday exercise!
This post is part of the weekly Five Minute Friday linkup.
Wife of one, Mom of two, Friend of many. My pronouns are she/her/hers.
oh.. when two preferred methods of communication collide eh? May we continue to work through those collisions. 🙂
I guess so! (Because if the prompt had been “write,” I certainly wouldn’t have said “I really would have preferred a conversation to writing out x, y or z”!). More work needed for sure!
Paula, I so get this. I used to far prefer speaking…and now, when I can barely talk, I’ve come to depend on writing. If I got well and could talk again, what on earth would I say? 🙂
2 at FMF this week.
https://blessed-are-the-pure-of-heart.blogspot.com/2017/08/your-dying-spouse-351-this-will-all-be.html
I know you aren’t fishing for a compliment here but I’m pretty sure if you could talk again, it would be something I would want to hear. Sending you prayers, love and support.
Interesting! Very thought provoking post.
Thanks, Tara! I appreciate you stopping by.
I prefer writing over speaking, too. I have found that I use it to avoid those tough conversations so am beginning to force myself to speak rather than write when there are problems that need to be solved. I’m too much of a peacemaker/avoider and need to grow into a graceful confronter. 😉
I forgot to add that I really appreciated your post. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I hear you on the preference for writing (and the need to force ourselves to speak sometimes). And thanks! 🙂