10:23 p.m. - 2002-09-03
Work Habits
Since high school, I've often held two jobs at once.
Sometimes, of course, it was necessity - other times it was just the timing of things. For example, I had babysitting clients from the age of 10. When I was old enough, I also held a job as a part-time retail clerk. I didn't give up the babysitting because I loved the kids I looked after, but I wanted to save money for university and "play" with my friends too. Homework could be done while babysitting so my schooling didn't suffer. Ditto for university. Then I took a leave from classes for a bit, thinking I would go back later when I had put my ex through college.
Not so, babies came and a mortgage so I raised my sons but always held some part-time(or short term fulltime)job too. When my ex took off well - that was necessity.
Now I'm back to carrying two jobs because of timing again. My second contract is with our Federal government and it is only active during elections - theoretically. During elections I administer the vote in my constituency. For those 3 months, it is a seven day a week, 12 hour a day job but it is something I love to do.
I've always valued the democratic system we are blessed with in North America. My volunteer work and living among neighbours who have survived repressive regimes from all over the world have underlined just how important it is to ensure that the foundation of our democracy - the one man, one vote principle - is as clean and open a process as is possible. I enjoy serving my community this way - it brings out the passion in them. Canadians usually are a reserved bunch but not at election time - our phones ring off the hook. It's always a challenge dealing with the politicians and the parties. They can be quite fractious, but considering the amount of power that is at stake it is not surprising. It keeps me on my toes keeping them honest. The press are ever-present and so are the Federal bureaucrats responsible for the whole show.
During non=electoral times we aren't really supposed to work, but the preparation that is required to look after nearly 150,000 citizens each can't all be done during elections. This year we have already put in about 2-3 full time equivalent months depending on local conditions. We don't have fixed elections like our cousins to the south. The call is solely at the pleasure of our Prime Minister. Being the astute politician he is - having been in politics for over 50 years - he likes to keep all his options open, so we are on stand-by.
Earlier this year it looked as if a power struggle in the governing party was going to come to a showdown at the polls. Summer cooled that off and our PM just stated that he wouldn't do anything until 2004. However, the phone calls are coming fast and furious from elections staffers this week with housekeeping items that to them seem to be critical to their workload now.
Today was one of those days where it was a challenge to keep all those balls in the air. Work is quite intense right now as we move into the homestretch (I hope) of this particular assignment. I'm trying to tie up all the loose ends so that the package we leave behind is neat and tidy. School starts this week and as always there are glitches as communication between home and school fires up again. Then there are the Feds.
Oh well - I guess the fall cleaning can wait. Those dust bunnies will still be there when I find the time and energy to pursue them. Maybe I'll invite them to stay for Christmas - purely a gesture of good-will you understand.
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