R-E-S-P-E-C-T

so let's talk about respect. it is one of those things that your parents teach you when you are little (at least hopefully they do) that goes along with calling people mr. or mrs. (or ma'am or sir for all of you southerners). it's teaching your kids to respect someone's privacy by not asking socially taboo questions and minding your "p's and q's." it's treating your friends properly, your significant other... for my dad it even means vacuuming and washing your car on a weekly basis. i guess inanimate objects need respect, too.

but as you get older and you enter the workforce, you inevitably meet people along the way who have no idea how to respect their colleagues for what they've accomplished. i've done a lot, and a lot isn't new to me. i know how to do my job and do it well. and to be honest, the job i'm in now is pretty boring considering i feel completely unchallenged during the day. i've done bigger things than this, i've accomplished better things than this -- both personally and professionally. but it is the latter that just makes me want to pull my hair out.

being the "low man on the totem pole" in a particular place of business doesn't mean that's always been the case. and it sure as shit doesn't mean that person is lacking in experience. yes, i know there's always an opportunity to learn in any situation... blah, blah, blah. i know that, and i'm not discounting that. but many o' days i want to pull out my resume, my portfolio and whatever else i can arm myself with, make copies and hand it out for colleagues to "refresh" themselves with what i'm capable of doing -- and what i've already accomplished and know how to do. sometimes i dream of what i would say to one of them before i got up out of my chair and completely peace-d out... like in a movie. when characters aren't real. and their jobs aren't real. and they don't depend on the income from their non-real job. because they make millions at their real job. acting like they have a job. being "one of us."

anyway...

all i'm saying is this: respect, people. respect what i've done. respect what i do. respect what i know. i deserve it. i work hard and i'm good at what i do. people are expected to do that for their bosses, but how many of those bosses actually deserve it? that's what i thought. but we have to do it anyway or else that boss can fire us. it really is a good swift kick in the teeth for most of us, isn't it, friends?

my situation isn't unique. i know that. i complain about stuff like this a lot. i know that, too. but when i spend most of my life working, it seems to be a popular topic of conversation. so i guess how i plan to handle my situation will be unique. or maybe it won't.

i don't know yet.