Ach!

This is the sound one must make when one works in "a people business" that is inundated unnecessarily with paper.

The success of my job depends on how well I can build and maintain relationships. You can't fake it. You have to be yourself. You have to genuinely like people, respect people that may be confrontational (and a little crazy) and you have to love kids.

All kids. Even the rotten ones.

They will know if you're faking it. And if you fake it too long, you'll end up snapping at one of them.

Not that I have never snapped. I scolded a parent pretty good the other day. And I have lost it a few times on kids that cannot be nice to each other. I hate that. But they know I like them. Even when I disapprove.

But the paper... sweet Jesus, the paper. I can't move without filling out a form, reading a requisition, consulting policy, writing a proposal, filing a report, adjusting the budget, finding a purchase order, approving a leave application, issuing flyers, writing staff memos, preparing handbooks, scanning report cards for errors, organizing growth plans...

Save me. Let us pray:

Lords of the Earth and Sky, to you do we give our service and pledge our commitment to deal wisely with your gifts. From you do we receive everything that matters. On you do we depend for our very existence. We thank you for the gift of warmth from the sun and for the soothing coolness of the winds and lakes of the Earth. We will fear not the touch of death or decay as these also are your gifts, from which spring eternal renewals. Grant me this one favour...

Whatever Elysium you keep for your favoured, limit the paperwork required to get in to the magazines in the waiting room of the reception area.

Ach! Amen.