Since I’ve been coming back to the office every day, there has been an almost-constant stream of HVAC workers who are . . . well, working on our HVAC system on the 6th floor of HBC.
We’ve had days where we couldn’t go out our main doorway into the hallway to the elevators. (Thank goodness HBC is a bit of a rabbit warren and there are back ways to get where you’re going.)
We’ve had days where we could barely get out of our office doors because ladders – and workers on ladders – were right outside those doors.
We’ve had days where we couldn’t get into our workroom (e.g., to make coffee – oh no!) because ladders – and workers on ladders – were smack in the doorway to the workroom.
We’ve had to turn up the sound on our Zoom meetings because of all the hubbub outside our doors – talking and drilling and discussing and assessing and moving equipment and then doing it all again.
I think today may have taken the cake for disruption and distraction. I couldn’t resist taking this picture, even though I have very little idea why or how this equipment might help fix whatever is wrong with our HVAC system.
For some reason, this experience seems like a metaphor for the last 18 months. Disruptions, distractions, detours. Problems that require unusual solutions. Calling in “the big guns” (see the picture!). Adapting to less-than-congenial work settings. And continuing to do what we do.
So, as we get closer to the weekend – as this rainy Friday morning has turned into a sunny (for now) Friday afternoon – I wish you a bit of laughter at the absurdities of life. And please keep on doing what you do, remembering to laugh along the way.