Holding On To Summer

I'm not sure why it took me this long. Here we are, August 21, and summer is almost over. The cooler mornings have me thinking toward Fall and also wondering where the time went? Yesterday, I resolved to spending at least a half hour of my lunch break outside, reading, in the park. Soaking in the warmth and sunlight as much as I can and giving myself a much needed break from my computer. My thought is that ultimately, the time spent away from my desk will actually make me more productive. The importance of mental rest should not be underestimated, which - I'd bet - is part of the reason lunch breaks were invented in the first place (along with the need to nourish the body, of course!).

When I first started work, I promised myself two things - 1) I would make sure I used every vacation day allotted to me and 2) I would always take my lunch break. Seven years later, I've failed repeatedly on both accounts. And it hasn't been at all on my own accord.

When did life get so hectic? And when did employers decide to try to cram 10+ hours of work into 8? Or 7 work days into 5? (And I know that my attorney, doctor, and financial advisor friends scoff at the "minimal" hours that I work compared to their jobs.) If I only worked the 7.5 hours/day that I get paid and actually took every vacation day I'm owed (a whopping 36! which I've accrued based on good performance, promotions and time with the organization), I'm not sure how I would ever get anything done. I'm fairly organized, but not even the most organized could produce this amount of work - of high quality - in that amount of time. You'd have to be superhuman (or the woman on Bewitched).

There's something to be said about the European work environment. August off, flexible work hours... so what if we are a richer country? I bet they live longer.

Where to Draw the Line?

My office has created a Facebook page. We're a non-profit and looking to engage the GenX/ Geny Y/ Millennial generations in our programs. Now I face the dilemma: do I "become a fan" of said organization? At what point do too many worlds collide? I started this blog hoping to keep anonymity. Then I attached it to my Facebook page - but still, its only my friends who read it, so that's fine.

I have a Facebook page, one that I largely try to keep out of the work domain. Yes, a few of my work friends also moonlight as Facebook friends (and a large handful of them have left the organization so at that point, its free game, right?). But for the most part, I like to keep these worlds separate.

Problem is, I've been a big advocate of getting our organization into the Web 2.0 world and using sites like MySpace and Facebook to attract new participants and to spread the word of our work. Is it hypocritical if I don't "join" the group? Fortunately, the office's page is not a network, which means that those who join can not necessarily view my profile, without me deeming them a "friend" first. But, if those in our office with Facebook pages become a fan of the organization, will there be an instant link among us - will everyone in the office want me as a Facebook friend, and then will I feel compelled to add them? I'm not trying to make it seem like I am the most desirable Facebook friend in the office, not by a longshot. At this point, I'm a fair amount older than a lot of my colleagues (they probably joined Facebook in college and surely don't belong to the group "Unlike 99.99% of the Facebook population, I was born in the '70s.") Yet, I won't easily be able to ignore their requests as I work with them - everyday.

Then is there a certain stigma with the older group in the office? Will they be talking amongst themselves as to who in the office has a Facebook page? Will they start looking over my shoulder?

As social networking sites like Facebook become more popular, start engaging the older population, and start filtering into the work environment as just another marketing tool, maybe a Facebook page will become as common as the business card. Until then, I've got some thinking to do. I may watch this one from afar for a while, and see how it plays out.

Keep you posted!