UBC January 2024 - Take it or leave it

Here are some suggested topics for blogging. As usual, you can take it, or leave it.

Be inspired by a quote!

Find a favorite quote and then expand on it giving your take or your thoughts.

This is today's writing prompt, and it made me laugh. 

Why? "Take it or leave it" is one of my most used quotes. I believe in making up one's mind and sticking to it. 

People who are indecisive and delay decisions are not doing themselves or others (me) any favors.

Harsh? I can live with it. 

I mean, I am not talking about big decisions like getting married, moving to another country or having kids.

It's committing to a date (not a date date, just a day in your calendar), a restaurant, a meal. What's so hard about that?

As it turns out I have a very current example of taking or leaving it. Remember the team meeting I wrote about just yesterday?

Seems like after the meeting some people had a private conversation and came up with this e-mail that was sent  to my Mom late last night:

Dear Mirjam (that's my mom),

The group picture doesn't work like this.

Suggestion: A picture of you, esteemed long-time member and and Tamara, new member of the commission?

Can you manage a new picture by tomorrow? Or do you have an existing one? Thank you!

So my Mom... She forwarded the e-mail to me, asking:

Should I come by the office, and (insert my coworker's name) or whoever can take a quick pic, or do you want to come by after work? I asked (insert team member) why I was suddenly an esteemed long-time member, according to (insert Ms Unhappy) I'm a loser who causes extra work, when her own job would be more than to get everything done in record time at the eleventh hour?

Ugh, I absolutely did not want my Mom to walk into our office with her camera. Just because I work at the same village, and our office used to be a supermarket, meaning we have a main entrance that is easily accessible just from the main road that leads to the train station or the miniature shopping mall, everybody thinks it's OK to just quickly drop in. My husband hates it particularly.

Plus I don't support quick fixes, especially if it's a picture that will be online for several years.

Even though it's not good for my blood pressure, I am annoyed.

I took time out of my busy day to make a hair appointment and spent a considerable amount of money so my hair would look nice for the photo shoot that was announced ahead to everybody involved.

I also hate the fact that we as a group decided on that team picture on Wednesday night, and the next day a group of people decided the picture didn't work - for unspecified reasons. 

So I sent two pictures to my Mom. One is the one above. It was taken at the tulip festival last spring. I just realized there is a blog post about it sitting in my draft folder. I never finished or posted it. So here are some random photos showing lovely spring flowers and a perfect blue sky. (We've been trapped under a thick blanket of clouds for over a week, and it's getting to me.)

I also sent her a text, telling her not to get discouraged by one frustrated people who is behaving unprofessionally. My Mom enjoys a high reputation, not only among the editorial team, but throughout the village. She should not forget that.

That's it from me today. Happy Friday, everyone!