CoffeeTime: “NOTHING FUN ABOUT IT, USUALLY”

“I am not stupid! Ignorant maybe, but certainly not totally stupid.” The rallying cry of most of us. Everyone feels better when they have at least a little bit of knowledge concerning what they are doing.

That’s why starting a new job can be nerve-wracking. Why attending a new school is so hard on kids, where everything is totally different and they don’t know any names yet. Why it’s so difficult to force yourself to find a new church to attend, even though you believe that life seems to flow a little easier when you have dedicated one morning a week to inviting the Lord to guide and help you.

For many of us, starting over or beginning something new is not fun. Because, being ‘the new kid on the block,’ where you feel awkward and yet to be accepted, can be an isolating experience. If you have ever begun a new job or school, you likely found that every facet of it was new to you. You probably had to ask someone a jillion questions for the first few days, and that gets very old, very quickly.

It’s called learning. And it can be stressful, but sometimes it can actually be exhilarating and fun. I guess it just depends on your mental and emotional approach to the process. And also depends a lot on your mentor for the job. If you have the good fortune to inherit a kind, well-spoken instructor to walk you thru the process of grasping all the details, you are blessed indeed. Nothing worse than trying to learn from someone who makes it clear that you are interfering with their time. Or even worse, if you are personally resented. Because you were given a job that in their estimation should have gone to someone else. That can almost guarantee a very rough beginning that is going to last until they decide to forgive you.

But like I mentioned earlier, there can be a fun part. It is affirming and exciting when you know you have grasped something new. Even if it is just a tiny part of the new requirements, “Hey, I got this, I can do it!” And making new friends with your co-workers or classmates - absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Then the day comes when you are actually functioning on your own. Nobody has to remind you, direct you, or walk you through it one more time. Oh, happy day! You learned, you truly know what you are doing, and you belong. That, my friends, is a good feeling.

If you are one of the fortunate - one of the few who has had the same classmates for years, or you never had to be the “newby” at work, then take these last two sentences to heart:

It is extremely difficult for some people to be the one having to learn everything and everyone. Please, take time to be kind and helpful for their sake.