Non-Campaign Sick

You don't just take a sick day on a campaign. Having been diagnosed with a chronic illness the summer before I started college, I had long ago redefined my concept of "sick." Working on a campaign was the first time I didn't feel like a "sick person." Although I was in remission well before I graduated, being part of something so much bigger than myself and having somewhere to focus my manic energy provided a welcome distraction from the confusing emotions in the aftermath of a chronic illness. The blessing and the curse of working on campaigns is that everything, (your health, your relationships, your hygiene) takes a backseat. One time I almost got kicked out of a chemo clinic in Denver for making event dials. (Whatever, its not like I was doing voter contact!)

So it was an interesting dilemma when I resigned to the fact that I have some kind of flu/strep hybrid and needed to go to the doctor today. Did you know that in the real world, people call out sick from work? There was seriously a part of me that thought that only happened to people faking it in sitcoms, but apparently it's quite common. I had to have my mom,my sorority sister, my boss and the nurse practitioner at the minute clinic independently confirm this for me multiple times.

I'm gonna level with you, I don't love my temp job (more on that later.) It's at a great company with great people, I just miss the all consuming passion of campaigns. Still I didn't want to miss work because a) I get paid hourly and b) I like to be responsible and do a good job at whatever I do. However when you work in customer service/sales for a travel company, you don't go in sick. There are no fires to be put out, no race against the clock, no other side working when you're not. It would be weird if you did go in. I've already redefined sick and now I'm redefining work.

This is essentially why I made this change in my life. I want relationships. I want to take care of my health. I want to work out and shower daily. But with all those things I'm gaining, I can't help but think what I'm giving up. Temping has reminded me how lucky I am to have found something I am truly passionate about so early in life. Perhaps I'm campaignsick after all.

Hopped up on pain killers, lying in bed and watching Futurama,

Nancy