My office moved into a large work room that also has my boss in a smaller office sectioned out and a coworker from the in-house pharmacy on the other half of the room. I hate it. I miss my office at Columbia something fierce. My job requires a certain level of studying and reading Medicare rules and policies which, believe it or not, I prefer to have silence when trying to figure out if some of the government-speak applies to my billing or not. This past week, there were two technicians that were covering for the regular technician that decided they could watch downloaded episodes of "Sex in the City" on an iPad while on work hours. I have never known a job where that would be acceptable unless the person is a critic writing a review of the show. I personally have never watched the show although I do know of it just from popular culture and awareness of the show and movie as an entertainment venue. As I was sitting at my desk reading about the fascinating details of ICD-10 codes and modifiers to HCPCS codes, dialog and sounds that are best left to private moments of our lives was blasting throughout the room for all to hear. It was just annoying when it was the regular parts of the show blaring, but THOSE parts of the show blaring was just indescribable for a workplace setting. I thought for sure my boss would come out of his office and tell them to shut it off. He didn't. When I asked him about it later, he claims he didn't hear it.
How do we stand each other as a human race when we can't stand each other as individuals? These two St. Mary's individuals for a good portion of the day had a running commentary on how stupid and incompetent the Columbia people are. The full merger of Columbia St. Mary's happened in mid-October and since then it has been an "us versus them" mode of thinking. As a former Columbia employee, I took great offense at this running commentary and was mystified why they thought it perfectly acceptable to bad-mouth Columbia employees with myself sitting just a few feet away. After several hours of this, I finally reminded them that I was a Columbia employee and didn't appreciate their bad-mouthing us. I remarked that maybe if the tables were turned and they were the ones to be refugees, they might not feel so smug and content with their lot in working life. They looked as if I struck them with a bat and that the concept of them losing there secure work environment never once occurred to them. Yet, management would have us believe that we are one big happy family and that there is no "us versus them".
At what point do the decisions in life become easy, or easier? I'm still wrestling with my decision to get my Bachelor's degree. I really don't know what to do, what I want to do, or if I want to do anything. I recognize what the last of those statements mean, and it bothers me. I'm beginning to wonder if I should just stick it out and count the years to retirement? And is this all that there is? I keep asking myself the following question: With no barriers to block the way, and knowing that I could have an instant change with no consequences, what would I be? Just like asking a kid, only I don't have an answer. I really don't know. The same thought keeps coming back to my. What happens when a person gets what they want and it becomes the same day-in day-out routine that I have now? Will it just be more tolerable?
I guess that's enough life pondering for another Sunday night. After all, the same draining routine starts again tomorrow and I will no doubt be pondering the same thoughts as I sit down in my communal corner and once again try to decipher the wonderful world of billing and coding.
