But every so often, I get a fuzzy little feeling in my optimistic heart, as we take a baby step forward and make some tangible, hopefully permanent, progress. Today was one of those days. A related department that I work for part time recently filled a vacancy that had been empty for 18 months. The guy is really cool, a hard worker, and serious about what he does. We were all worried about fitting a new person into our workplace dynamic after so long, but he's a great fit and exactly what we needed (in terms of disposition and skill set). Additionally, today, we had the arrival of a visiting researcher. So our little corner of our building is buzzing with the coffee-soaked smell of hard work.
I'm also starting to see signs of improved ethic with the students who work and learn in our departments. The computer lab seems more busy, and we can't keep some items in stock due to demand. Don't get me wrong - I still had to send written warnings to a dozen volunteers for not showing up last week, so-and-so's grandmother died for the 5th time this year, and so-called "leaders" and "good students" are still floundering over senioritis, file formats, and group projects. But the tone is improving, and I think it has a network effect. Activity begets activity, and someday this place will hum like the fine-tuned machine it can be.
Plus, it feels good that I'm finally catching up on some projects that have been plaguing me for months. I've still got a 3 page to do list, but I was able to delete some items off of it that have been on there way too long.
I'm enjoying the upward swing. Let's see it through to vacation next month... That would be development!
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