Day 100

This morning, a co-worker and I were chatting about what is particularly un-fun about working for UC at the moment. Our state is a disaster, our higher education system is on the verge of collapse, and we feel trapped. She will soon reach her twenty year mark with the university and is looking forward to the benefits that come along with that, but she admits to being far less enthusiastic about them than she was twenty years ago. "The benefits were good when I started working here," she said. "But it's pathetic how little I am making now for how long I've been at this place." She has career ambitions to move onward and upward in the university, but has practically no opportunities to do so since the university isn't really hiring now, and probably won't be for a long time. She prophesied that as soon as the economy improves, everyone will leave to find better jobs elsewhere, which you know is exactly what I think, too. The strange thing about this whole conversation is that we weren't speaking with particular melancholy or ire, but more just as statements of fact for the sake of confirming our mutual feelings and understandings of the situation in front of us. We all know how lucky we are right now to have a job so no one really says that aloud anymore. Like I've said, no full time staff in my department have been laid off, but since we don't have many other options, we accept that we're just hanging around with our fingers crossed that layoffs won't happen in the future. Our occasional party atmosphere has picked up again in the office with potlucks instead of catering, and it's been just great. We trudge along and smile and laugh and get along exceptionally well with the bond of our common experience. It's almost like we are all stuffed down into a rickety bomb shelter while a small nuclear war is waging outside, and we've decided to keep going with our daily activities as if nothing has changed because what the hell else are we going to do? I hope other staff around campus and UC are as lucky as I am to have colleagues who keep smiling.