Why do I come to work?

I mean, apart from the obvious - like I like having somewhere to live, food to eat, and clothes to wear...

Some days I wonder. Yesterday was one of them. Drag myself to work when I should have been home sick (no, not swine flu!) because I had something really important on that would have been a total pain to reschedule, and annoyed the crap out of the others involved... and it wasn't that pleasant an experience. The joys of defense mechanisms... [long story]

Anyway - today I had the major answer (apart from money) confirmed.

One of our staff lost everything in a house fire. She came back today after two weeks off to find a card with lots of loving, caring, and supportive messages, and money raised for her...

When Dad was dying, and after he died, sometimes coming to work was the best thing - there were people here who understood - who had been there - and who would say something that just helped. Or who didn't... because they knew that you don't always want sympathetic comments, or questions about how you are. The answer - my father is dying, I'm completely shattered and I'm about to fall apart any minute, do you have tissues? [or words to that effect]

Then, if you're lucky, there are customers who make your day, too... the ones who express their gratitude at the work you've done, who thank you for finding the perfect book/resource, who know your name and have a chat (which I really miss from working in the comm lib world).

Yeah, sure, there are people at work who do my head in. There are some I try to avoid - or keep in small doses. But, hey, I get to hide in my solo office for a whack of the week!

Hutia te rito o te harakeke
Kei whea, te kōmako e kō
Kī mai ki āhau
He aha te mea nui o tēnei ao
Māku e kī atu
He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.

When the heart is torn from the flax bush,
where will the bell bird sing?
You ask me, what is the most important thing on earth?
My reply is it is people, it is people, it is people
http://lianza.org.nz/events/conference2009/