this could be kind of rambly, so i aplologize in advance. if you’re lucky, i’ll edit it down before i publish the entry.
so, the most recent incarnation of my job has only taken hold completely since near the end of last year. it’s hard to describe to people… i usually tell them that it’s like “making sure a cell phone or car interface makes sense to use.” the blinker wand belongs to the left of the steering wheel, the ‘begin call’ button should be green, not red… mostly, it’s observing people’s “way”, and making sure the design is such that doesn’t interfere with the task at hand. it sounds simple, doesn’t it?
well, consider how different you and your partner’s opinions are about grocery shopping, wine, which route to take somewhere… i have to figure out how to make sure that both you and your partner find what you’re looking for, using all the clues and facts that you expect in any path to completion. i’ve often said that my job is done when no one says anything, because that means everything worked as expected.
i recently realized that i thank my mom so much for, what i consider, my innate ability to surmise what someone wants and articulate the means before the person can even do it. i used to wonder why she enjoyed sitting on state street or in the food court “people-watching”. now i understand. so, thanks mom. :)
this also feeds my ability to listen and provide feedback to individuals, trying to help them find a means to their end. the reason i started this entry is because someone i know attempted suicide two days ago (she’s alive and in the hospital). i can’t really say more about who it is, because that’s the extent to what i’ve been entrusted; but this situation is the single one in which i have no idea how to deal; and i wish i knew…
we all feel helpless in our lives at some point; i’m just unfamiliar with the kind that lasts so long or hurts so deep that it creates the desire to just stop. so, this is one place where i don’t feel like i know everything; i can’t help her find a means to her end because it’s not supposed to be that way.
i’m not sure why i wanted to tell you this. it’s just been on my brain since yesterday…
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