Thread: Just Wondering...

I retired from NYS dept of corrections and after years I am very distrustful of most people. I also am always conscious of my surroundings and look for those individuals that are out to get someone. I think it goes with the job.

Carl, consider this:
I'm not living in the past; I'm just paying for it. (Linda Groth)
~Richard

I've spent quite a bit of time in prisons myself. It's kind of tradition in the N.M system when you come up to the main facility in Santa Fe you get locked in the old gas Chamber for a few minutes.

They say when you work in the big house the only difference between you and the inmates is you get to go home at the end of your shift.

Originally Posted by Nightblade

First it's "am I evil".....now it's " Id'e like to be eaten by a shark"...........What are you smoking or maybe it's time to start ?????

That's just the sort of guy I am, that's just the sort of guy I am...
I'm not saying I'd LIKE to be eaten by a shark, but there are more boring options...

I believe life shapes us, and because our work is part of our life it will almost inevitably shape us to varying degrees. However the degree to which it does that varies from person to person and from job to job.

I am determined to keep a lid on the extent to which my work defines me as a person. I research some unimaginably horrible things, and if I were to let that dictate who I was and how I saw the world, I would not only lose all faith in humanity, I would also become a very, very angry, bitter, and possibly dangerous person. But to say that it has not had any effect on me would be disingenuous. I just try to be aware that it's possible, and if I don't like the way my mindset is heading, I do something to bring myself back on course. Learning to recognize that was a challenge at first, to my cost. And the lives of several former colleagues who did not recognize the signs in time have been devastated by the effects of doing the work we do.

So for what it's worth, this is my advice for anyone in or embarking on a career that deals with subject matter that can cause vicarious trauma: remain as self-aware as possible. Remember who you are and who you want to be, and don't let the bad stuff drag you down. If it does, talk to someone. Do what you need to do to look after yourself.

This helps me focus when I feel mentally boxed in & I dwell too much on my decisions of the past; I repeat this simple old saying, "Today is the first day, of the rest of your life."


Leave decisions of the past where they belong,,,in the past.

Originally Posted by Hirlau

This helps me focus when I feel mentally boxed in & I dwell too much on my decisions of the past; I repeat this simple old saying, "Today is the first day, of the rest of your life."


Leave decisions of the past where they belong,,,in the past.

Interesting. A guy at work (a prisoner) the other day did a course and as part of that course he had to write a thing entitled 'my life'. As many commonly do when new to computing (word processing), he printed an extra blank page. As I took the document from the printer to give to him I noted the blank page (we get a LOT of blank pages printed; I'll need to show them how to do a print preview and check for this). I said 'Oh, a blank page, that must be your future'. Then I expanded on the comment, I said 'Your future's a blank slate you know, you can put anything you like on that page'.

He smiled and took the document, including the blank page. I'm not sure he got what I meant. Maybe he did or did not, maybe he will realise the profound statement that it actually was later on...

I like sowing little seeds of wisdom like that, it makes me think I'm doing something worthwhile...

Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

Interesting. A guy at work (a prisoner) the other day did a course and as part of that course he had to write a thing entitled 'my life'. As many commonly do when new to computing (word processing), he printed an extra blank page. As I took the document from the printer to give to him I noted the blank page (we get a LOT of blank pages printed; I'll need to show them how to do a print preview and check for this). I said 'Oh, a blank page, that must be your future'. Then I expanded on the comment, I said 'Your future's a blank slate you know, you can put anything you like on that page'.

He smiled and took the document, including the blank page. I'm not sure he got what I meant. Maybe he did or did not, maybe he will realise the profound statement that it actually was later on...

I like sowing little seeds of wisdom like that, it makes me think I'm doing something worthwhile...

And I've read countless stories how something as simple as that can truly impact a persons life where they truly change.

I've always strived to experience the moment.

To believe that I am exactly where I'm supposed to be, doing exactly what I'm meant to be doing.

I decided a long time ago that I don't do drama, and I won't get involved in it...all it will do is upset me needlessly and I won't let it rent space in my head.

I've heard a saying which I quite like, "If you have one foot in yesterday, and the other in tomorrow, you pi$$ all over today!"

As I've said here before, I strive now for experience in my life, not tasks, and I can't change the past, tomorrow isn't here yet, and none of us is promised tomorrow. So all we have is right now, so I always try to make the best of it, because that's where I am, and it's where I should be.

My advice is trust no one but don't be suspicious. Does that make sense ?