Operation Transfer Girl

 I couldn't tell you where this memory/thought process came from, but I thought I would share it with you, maybe someone can relate. I always find myself in the same position, regardless my age: adults trusting me with their absence. Let me explain. My mother worked in a children's hospital when I was in my early to mid teens. She would work on A&E and that means long hours, so I often went to visit her if she was behind the reception in the afternoon, on evenings or on weekends. It was just normal to pop in, or stick around if I was waiting for an appointment for myself in a different department. Now, fair enough, most of my mother's colleagues knew me, so they had no problems with me sticking around in the staff room, or even behind the desk. But why they allowed me to talk to patients (they often assumed I was an employee or an intern), record their details on the computer or walk them down to the correct examination room is way beyond me. Another example: I don'...

As I am one "have a great day!" Spotify playlist and a borrowed vape away from having my daily breakdowns, the familiar bittersweet feeling of burnout starts to fill my lungs again. I must be short fused you say, I just had 3 months of no work but that ain't this easy. Partly, it had made it even worse. While being on furlough with high functioning depression did its damage, I also managed to recharge a lot. I didn't know I will start caring again so much about work, it's not like I planned it this way, okay? But I do. And caring about something you convinced yourself to let go, putting your 110% effort in before giving it all up is quite frankly 1. exhausting 2. unappreciated 3. stupid. But I guess I have never been the smart one.

To be able to work in hospitality, and in this recent case, on reception, you must have many skills. To give amazing service, you must put in your heart, just to make those few seconds, minutes, or hours special while you are interacting with your guests. But in order to be able to look in the mirror and see a human being at the end of your day, you also must learn not to let the mean comments get to you. For some, it is not hard at all, for others, it might seem impossible to live by the "water off a duck's back" saying.  It took me a great deal to get used to people looking down on me, and I still raise an eyebrow when some guests are trying to offend me just to attempt to get what they want, let that be a free stay, free food, a bottle of wine or just to let the steam off their chests. Most of the time it isn't even personal, they are just saying whatever comes to their minds, and I know, I just happen to be the person they have found with their anger. However, ...