What Is It That You Do Do?

You know how it goes; you've probably even done it yourself. You're at a shindig and the occasional acquaintance sitting next to you turns and asks, "Soooo, what are you doing for work?" And you think to yourself, "How many times has this particular person asked me this particular question and they still don't know the answer?"

Then you start to question your work. What IS my job anyway? It's somewhat of a sore subject in some regards because my answer -- "I manage a small doctor's office where I'm the only employee" -- doesn't really lead to much further discussion about what I do, who I am. And, at this ripe age of middle thirties, there's beginning to be a bit of judgment in response to my answer, which quite frankly is coming from both sides of the table.

What is this woman doing with her life, anyway?

Well, I'm paying the bills for one thing. Besides that, I've begun to delve a little deeper into the conversation about my work when posed the question. It's been nearly fifteen years now (gasp!) that I've been hopping around office jobs, just trying to keep afloat and stay put in this little paradise of a town. For the last six years, I've been in the same office working one-on-one with a "going to retire someday" hand doctor. Here's a surgeon who always runs on time, looks his patients in the eye, and never operates unnecessarily. He's the very first boss I've ever had who has treated me with the respect and trust that I earn as a dependable employee. And I never have to ask for time off, I just take it...how sweet is that?

Let's face it: we've all been on the patient side of the waiting room and we all have doctor's office horror stories.

What this job has given me is the opportunity to save our patients from that experience of feeling like a number, of not feeling heard or cared about. I'm blessed with time in our daily schedule to listen to them share their painful (and sometimes completely, insanely inappropriate) experiences. I get to empathize and sympathize and ease their suffering. My job is in a doctor's office where our patients leave feeling as though their questions and concerns have been addressed, not dismissed. And it's my pleasure to help these crazy sons of bitches, too.

So, what I do is that.

Plus, I'm a writer who is trying desperately to be able to confidently say "I am a writer" without the addendum of "but I'm not really writing anything right now." Damn it if that's a tall order, but I'm getting there.