Disclaimer: The thoughts and feelings expressed in this post are solely the author's and do not represent the official position of any government agency.
For the first time in weeks, I was not nervous when I woke up today. Yesterday, we got some welcome news. The President signed the legislation guaranteeing back pay to federal workers once the government reopens. So, now, it’s just a question of when?
Of course, we only get back pay when the government reopens, and bills are coming due now. So we’ll get the money eventually, but maybe not in time to pay some bills. If an employ is living paycheck to paycheck, the promise of a catch up payment, eventually, doesn’t actually pay the light bill. But it’s some comfort. Also, government contractors are not covered by that legislation, so they are still suffering significant loss of income with no guarantee that they will ever recover it. So the legislation that guarantees back pay is a small step in the right direction.
Mind if I wax philosophical? Difficult times like these can be clarifying events. You re-examine your approach to life:
I should spend my money more wisely.
I should care for my mental and physical health better than I have been doing.
What’s my life coming to, anyway?
Stuff worth thinking about from time to time, but something people rarely do. If there is any sliver lining to the shutdown, personally anyway, perhaps it is that it has caused me to re-examine my life and how I’ve been approaching certain aspects of it so far.
Here’s an important to my kiddo, but not life altering example:
His 8th birthday is coming up in a few weeks. He’s the kind of guy who announces the theme of his birthday party somewhere between a day and a week after he has had the prior birthday party.
So we have known that we would have a Pokémon themed party for many moons.
Initially, I had planned to have special Pokéball cookies and cupcakes made. And I was going to cater the rest of the food in.
But with the shutdown, I’ve thought a lot about the cost/benefit of that kind of set up. Specifically, how much will the kids really care about that stuff. Does it need to be that fancy and expensive for the kids to have a good time? Who am I doing this for anyway? So I’ve rethought the food. The kids don’t care. They just want sugar. The form of it and dollar sign on it matters little.
It’s not just birthday parties I’ve been rethinking, but a lot of things. The birthday party is just the easiest example, and the one I’m willing to share publicly.
Anyway, moments of extremis can be clarifying. I am glad of the clarity, if not the stress, that has come from this moment.
Now, off to learn more about therapods and birds. Happy Thursday, folks.
