| | So its my first post for a long time, and DO I have a good reason! Finally after four months of living in New York, dealing with roaches and mice, summer without ac, my first visual experience of a death, the relationship with my gwailo,being homeless and peniless, people talking trash about a psychology major, ignorance, people telling me how i have no home and culture, return of my asthma, moving into a new home, new relationships ... I finally found the job that fits my insane criteria. (insane criteria being exposure to cultural psych, exposure to psych's in the field, decent pay, and working with ppl) and now im frightened. The job itself is great, I get to work with families of different cultures- learning about cultural psych right there, I get to work with psychologists, concelors, therapists- thats my psychology experience there as well, and most importantly, I get to be of service to other people, to be able to make a difference in this dog eat dog world. If I can do a job then this is a mental "fuck you" to every banker out there. not all of them ofcourse, but to the ones who are just there to get rick quick and dirty, the ones who make so much yet are too stingy to share with anyone, the ones who can only think as far as their noses and only care about themselves. The ones who think that its okay to want everything for myself and be selfish regardless of what I do. Who cares if other people get hurt in my way. I've dealt with more than enough of the personality types and sometimes it makes me physically sick to think about it. The sick bastards who are bankers but want to go out with a social worker, a teacher, a nurse, so they can shake off some of the guilt. but back to the main point. fear of entering the real world. bankers play with peoples money, lots and lots of it, so they are stressed out and unable to fuckup. I'll be working with peoples lives, children, during the age where 85% of brain development occurs... if I fuck up, its someones life I've changed forever. money can be earned again, but you only have one life. And who am I to say whats right. No wonder they pay a decent wage. So a lot of it should be common sense, and the rest im hoping comes from the good training im shall soon get. I want to ask if I have it in me to do something like this, but the simple answer is yes. Except that I dont just want to do the job right. I want to do it well. I asked for advice about going into the field and this is what i've been given so far: 1. Dont let it get personal. The minute you let it get into your heart, let it come home with you then it will become too much. I suppose this prevention for burning out. If im dealing with 40 cases at a time....Im guessing that im gonna have to learn a little self restriction. But better that than not having a heart at all huh. 2. You have to keep yourself healthy and have something in you, if you must be able to offer part of yourself to others. Dont be working till late hours, because the next day and the next your just going to pay for that. Eat healthy, sleep, rest, relax with a balanced diet of everything. only then can you be nourished enough to offer yourself to others. 3. Friends are important, keep those who can listen and counsel you as well. Worst are the ones who only give negative feedback, the ones who just want you there so YOU can be there for them, without a care of how you feel. The ones who will not make way for you in their lives, and only do what is convenient for them. Gotta becareful you dont become one of those friends too. A relationship is give and take, compromise, if you truly believe it, you can change small things in you, if they are truly worth it. If people never changed.. we would all still be cavemen ripping raw meat off the still-beating heart of a new born lamb. Work doesnt start till a little later, but im excited and glad to be doing something important to me, even thou it is a little scary. I hope this advice can be shared and of use to others as well. lots of love, Shirls |
