Trying to be everything for everyone

As part of my research for the ethics workshops that I am proposing for next year's VRID conference, I have been reading Silver Threads: A Personal Look at the First Twenty-Five Years of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, published by Lou Fant in 1990.  As I read about the history of the interpreting profession and RID, the following quote resonated with me on several levels: 

"It is a mistake for an individual or an organization to attempt to be all things to all people" (p. 40).

Upon posting this quote to my Facebook page, I was immediately "accused" (a term I use loosely) of referencing the current state of RID.  Admittedly, in the midst of the ongoing drama revolving around the future of the organization and certification testing changes, Lou Fant's words in Silver Threads has struck a chord.  The more I read, the more it became apparent that as an organization, we are repeating our mistakes.  RID lacks a clear vision of its role, function, and long term direction.  As an organization, we are once again lacking leadership and continue to make mistakes about certification.  Once again, we are standing on the edge, waiting for the pivotal moment, but unsure where the compass is pointing.  Yet, we need to realized that regardless of the outcome, there are going to be "winners" and "losers." Some individuals will be satisfied with the outcome, while others threaten to leave- and a suspect a sizeable group will remain indifferent. We have been asked by the Board and are asking ourselves- Is RID a certifying body or a professional organization?  For now, that question remains unanswered, but small steps are being taken in attempts to find an answer.

Recently,  RID asked its members to answer the following question: "Who is RID’s constituency and what do you/they need RID to be and what do you/ they need RID to be doing right now?"  It is my hope that the membership has seized the opportunity to express their views.  In my response, I tried to emphasize a sense of togetherness as well as offer strengths in addition to the weaknesses: 

RID's constituency is its members, however we must consider how our actions and decisions affect our stakeholders, which includes other interpreters, interpreting students, the Deaf community, and hearing community. RID needs to be a supportive and unifying body with the same goal of advancing our professional development. While communication has been improving, additional transparency is still needed to keep members in the loop and informed, particularly regarding the rationale of the recent NIC changes. Some of the information previously released has been vague, untimely, and misguiding. As a whole, I would like to see our organization as pro-active, rather than reactive, while still supporting and respecting our colleagues, future colleagues, and consumers. We need to be more inclusive and accepting, which in turn, would hopefully encourage more individuals to become involved, active members, rather than bystanders. RID has the potentially to be a "member-driven" organization, but first members need to be given the opportunity to drive; then we can take the wheel.

While my biggest hope for RID is to become a unified, supportive body, I know that we cannot be everything for everyone- and this fact is easily forgotten.  In my personal and professional lives, this was one of the hardest life lessons for me to learn.  I had been told repeatedly that this profession requires a "thick skin"- a trait that I certainly lack.  But as I have grown personally and professionally, I have learned that I cannot sacrifice my personal happiness in an attempt to satisfy everyone around me.  I have learned not to take everything personally.  It is not necessarily about me or my skill, but it is about the interpersonal dynamic and other forces- sometimes things just don't "click."  In a profession that requires us to continually to develop our skills and excel on a daily basis, this can be a hard lesson learned.

As individuals and as an organization, we need to remember that we need to strive for success, but at the end of the day, we will never be "all things to all people."

Thankfulness

Every Thanksgiving, my family goes around the table, and each person has an opportunity to state what he or she is thankful for.  Although my husband and I did not spend Thanksgiving Day with my family, this time of year encourages reflection and introspection as we consider the year behind us and the year ahead of us.

First and foremost, I am thankful for my husband, Josh, and our wonderful families.  I am also thankful for our beagle, Sadie- and the fact that we were able to eat our Thanksgiving dinner before she did.

Secondly, I am thankful that Josh and I both have jobs that we love.  While I cannot speak for Josh, I feel fortunate in these uncertain times to remain gainfully employed and be able to make a living doing something that I love.  My profession has its ups and downs- and I don't think I will ever appreciate the commuting- but I am truly thankful to be able to work as a sign language interpreter in the D.C. area and work with wonderful, supportive colleagues.

Furthermore, I am thankful for the opportunities and experiences of this past year, including serving on the VRID board and attending the RID National Conference.  At the beginning of the month, I had the opportunity to interpret a cruise, which has been on my "bucket list" since my ITP days.  In the past two months, I have taken steps forward to accomplishing other tasks on my bucket list, including presenting at the VRID conference and completing my MA degree.  I am currently working on both workshop proposals for the VRID conference as well as a proposal to attend George Mason University and complete a MA in Interdisciplinary Studies (MAIS) with an emphasis in ethics and interpreting.

I am thankful for all the blessings that I received in 2011 and am looking forward to another exciting year in 2012!

The makings of a good day

Yesterday was an interesting day for me.  Thursday is one of the days that I have guaranteed hours with an agency; my schedule is at their discretion.  At 9 am, I was almost to my 10 am assignment when I received the call that I was now working 11:30-1:30 at an alternate, but nearby location, and after that I would be done for the day- with the caveat that something could came up.  So I went to Starbucks and Target, then headed to my assignment.  When my assignment was over, I had a voicemail directing me to another assignment.

Two assignments, two last minute scheduling changes, two states, and eighty-plus miles later, I was finally home- exhausted, but elated.


Despite the chaos, in the course of the day, I had conquered one of my interpreting fears.  Sometimes we hold on to our fears, rational and irrational, and overcoming them is a reason to celebrate.  That's what makes a good day.

Sigh of relief...for now

I went to bed Friday night, not knowing if I would have a job this week.  During the last month and a half, the newspapers and media have shifted their focus from Charlie Sheen to the looming government shutdown.  Every two weeks, a shutdown was looming as we waited for Congress to pass a budget or a continuing resolution.

During the first shutdown threat, I received a email from the agency that I have guaranteed hours with, announcing that if the government closes, they would be closing- 98% of their contracts are with the federal government.  In the coming weeks, I received emails from other interpreting agencies, detailing their plans during the government shutdown- essentially the message was "if the government closes and cancels assignments, they won't pay our contracts and we can't pay you."  With no indication of how long a shutdown would last, I was obviously concerned about the long-term.

While interpreters have more flexibility and options than other government employees and contractors, we would be hurting as well.  There is always medical, community, and college work, but now the market would be saturated with interpreters, and only so much work to go around.  I made the decision that I would not accept any assignments that I normally would not consider or consider myself qualified for (i.e. medical, mental health, legal).  I was already interpreting a class at the community college and when requests were sent out for the second eight-week session, in the midst of shutdown threats, I immediately accepted a second class, bringing my weekly total to eight hours.  Last Friday, I received a request for an all day Saturday assignment (14 hours!), and I accepted that assignment as well (I was qualified for the assignment, but working all day is necessarily my first choice on a Saturday), as Congress had yet to reach a decision.  Fortunately, just before midnight, Congress approved another continuing resolution.

This entire experience has made me more thankful for my job and what I have, but also served as a reminder that no one has true job security.  If the government did shut down, we were going to be better off than most- my husband would still have his county job,  but my hours dropping from 30 hours/ week to 8 hours/ week was certainly going to be difficult.  The future is uncertain and we will continue to save for that "raining day."  In the meantime, I will be counting my blessings.

Let it all go...

This is my free therapy for today.  Leave work, get in the car, crank up country radio, and take a deep breath...

Yes- it was one of those days.  We all have them and if we're lucky, they're few and far between.  Today was challenging as well as physically and emotionally draining.  Now, I am trying to leave it at the front door.

Easier said than done, but chai tea latte, re-run of my favorite show, and a cute puppy are definitely helping.  All part of self-care and letting it all go...


How do you unwind and de-stress at the end of the day?

Resolutions and wrap-ups

A new year inevitably marks a new beginning, prompting us to reflect on another year that flew by and make resolutions we probably won't keep.  I wish I could promise to blog every week, but that might be too ambitious...

Looking back....

This past year was more of an adventure than I could have expected.  I am not where I thought I would be, but that's not a bad thing.  In the past year, I passed the NIC, dove into the freelance interpreting world full-time,  served on the PCRID conference committee, joined the VRID board, started a blog, quit graduate school...the list could go on.  On a personal note, my husband and I had to make the difficult decision to put down our dog, Mary, as she battled cancer.  By the year's end, we welcomed a puppy, Sadie, into our home and celebrated his promotion and our three year anniversary.

2010 was certainly a year of lessons learned.  Most significantly, throughout this year, I was reminded of how important it is to take care of yourself.  Too much of my year was spent stressed and burn-out, making the conscious decision to take care of myself and giving myself permission to say "NO" was the best thing I did for myself.

As you may have gathered from previous postings, the PCRID conference was a tremendous learning.  I learned about the conference planning conference and about myself- mostly that the Support Staff Coordinator position needs someone a little more Type A than me.  On the final day of the conference (Day 3), I attended Marc Holmes's "Carpe Prepum," which was a good reminder of the importance of preparation.  My resolution last January was to improve and increase my preparation for interpreting assignments, an area which I continually try to hold myself accountable.

And looking ahead...

I am honestly looking forward to the new year.  2010 was a challenge, while I hope 2011 will be challenging.  Work is going well- I started guaranteed hours with an area agency this week (I get to maintain my freelance status, but receive guaranteed work a few days a week).  Additionally, I am enjoying my work with VRID and am very excited with all the events in the works for this year.

I want to continue to grow as an individual and an interpreter.  We are never done and there is always something new to learn.  At the end of the day, I am thankful to have not only a job that I love, but family and friends that I love as well.

"Life is what happens when you're busy making plans"

I wish that I had a better excuse for falling behind on my blog (again).   What can I say...life has been a roller coaster this past month.  After much anticipation, this month was over in a flash.  There have been highs and lows, plus more loops that I could have imagined.  I have been challenged personally and professionally, and in retrospect, I can only say that this last month has made me stronger and braver.

I still uncertain about the future and unsure what the next curve will bring.  No decisions have been made about whether I will return to complete my degree.  I am working as a freelance interpreter and loving it (except for the commuting), but applied for a staff position with an agency in an attempt to move forward.  I am still in the application process and owe them a sample of my work and paper application.  However, I am wavering, constantly evaluating the pros and cons of staff positions versus staying freelance.  This past week, I had a screening with a different agency for freelance work- *fingers crossed,* I should hear back next week.  I feel continually behind, trying to move forward with my career while balancing my personal life with my PCRID and VRID commitments.  I set a goal of re-taking the NIC in order to obtain NIC Advance certification, but do not have a time frame.  My dear friend and colleague has offered to mentor me and help me further develop and hone my interpreting skills.  Honestly, after all my set-backs early this month, I lost momentum.  Now, I need get motivated again and move forward, reaching towards new goals.


On a personal note, two weeks ago, my husband and I had to make the heart-wrenching decision to put our beagle, Mary, to sleep.  In August, we learned that she had liver cancer and we advised against surgery.  We thought we had all this time left with her, yet Mary rapidly declined and we had to make a decision that we weren't ready for.  Fortunately,  I was able to re-schedule my screening (to this past week) and have subs for my classes that I interpret on Thursday and Friday.  Although I missed and work and it caused delays in the application and screening process, I have no regrets.  I am thankfully for the flexibility of the agency and the community college.  I am especially thankful for the interpreters who filled in for me and my team interpreters (who demonstrated compassion and understanding when I needed it the most.  Not only was I able to take care of yourself and family, but to realize that by doing so, the consumers benefited as well.  Emotional and mental presence is as important as physical presence and I knew I could not interpret with my mind elsewhere.

From the bottom of my heart, I do want to thank my family, friends, and colleagues for being there for me when I needed it most.  Your support and encouragement mean the world to me and keeps me moving forward.  I may need a new game plan, but in the meantime life is good and I am pressing on, one step at a time.

Sometimes it really is okay to say no...

I say no all the time- just not as often as I should.  Interpreters have a tendency to say yes.  We want the work.  We want to be flexible.  We want to satisfy the consumers' expectations.  Sometimes in the midst of it all, we forget to take care of yourselves.  Constantly operating in Energizer bunny mode can and will lead to burn out.  It's one thing to know the limitations of one's interpreting skills; know the limitations of one's mind and body is a different story.

For me, it's easy to say no to an assignment if I do not feel qualified or if it's not my forte (i.e. medical and legal).  Often I say yes too often, momentarily forgetting about my physical and mental limitations.  We're often told that the interpreting profession is feast or famine, so we work as much as we can when we can.  We must all live a balanced life in order to work more effectively.  For me, I try to put my family first, even though I occasionally sacrifice time with my husband to work evenings.  Last week, I turned down a job when I was qualified and available and I was proud of myself.  I listened to my physical limitations.

I am at a major transitioning moment in my life.  Now, I need to get motivated to take care of myself after sacrificing so much of my physical and mental well-being for far too long.  On my to list?
1) Eat healthier- more fruits and veggies, less take-out and delievery
2) Get back into shape.  I need to exercise more, do pilates for toning and relaxation, and lose the 10(ish) pounds that I gained this past year.
3)  Give myself permission to have down time and relax.  A vacation would be nice too.

And the irony of all of this?  As I was contemplating the importance of self-care, I tweaked my neck on Sunday morning, aggravating a prior injury.  Fortunately, for me, Monday was a Federal holiday and my other assignments this week have ended early or canceled with pay.  For the moment, as I sit here with my ice pack, I am giving myself permission to relax and enjoy the time off.  After all, it's Thursday afternoon and I was supposed to be working.

So what now?

I just started this blog and already I am inexcusably behind.  Sometimes life happens and you just have to go with it.  Due to a series of events (personal and professional), I will be taking a leave of absence from Gallaudet for this upcoming school year.  This feels like an enormous set back, yet I am feeling surprisingly calm about this recent development.  Instantly, I felt a weight being lifted.  There was too much on my plate and too much stress in my life.  Now, I have the opportunity to step back and re-evaluate my personal and professional goals.  But, in my heart, I firmly believe that everything happens for reason, even if I don't know the reason- yet.

The last few weeks have been eye opening for me.  I was reminded of several life lessons and was prepared to write about them, however, I realize that it is one thing to pass on lessons learned and it is another thing to truly live them.  Like the old adage says "it's easier to say than do."  Sometimes, we learn the lesson the first time around, but often times we need to be reminded; then reminded again.

Life Lessons I need to be reminded of (and will be discussing in the coming weeks):
1) Own your work.
2) Take care of yourself- physically, emotionally, and mentally.
3)  Remember the big picture.
4) Never stop learning.

Most importantly, through all of this, I am reminded how bless I am to be surrounded by wonderful family, friends, and colleagues.  I have an amazing, loving husband; a supportive family; and great friends.  Surround yourself with encouraging, supportive people, instead of negativity.  Have people in your life who will meet up at nine o'clock that night because you need to talk or send you a text message wishing you a "Happy Tuesday."  Those are the people you want as your friend and colleague.

Today's lesson?  Surround yourself with people who build you up- not knock you down.

And having a beagle to snuggle up with doesn't hurt either...