Anniversary

Six years ago today I walked through the doors of the seed lab for my first day on the job. Paperwork. Introductions. Learning things about seeds and the ag/industrial complex that I never imagined could be. So much was interesting. And dirty and dusty and requiring various levels of Personal Protective Equipment. I was good at what I did. I volunteered to organize a system for the storage of the seed samples in my department. In the four years I was responsible for as many as 100,000 corn and soybean customer samples at a time, not a single one was lost. A handful were misplaced and I found them anyway. I won Employee Performance of the Month honors for this achievement. An award that is nominated and voted on by fellow workers. Over time, I developed tendinitis in my wrists and hands, along with a sesitivity to latex gloves. Today I returned to the lab after an absence of twelve weeks. I didn't know the code for the security door, and a new face behind the reception desk buzzed me through. I barely lasted two hours. As I suspected, they were not able to accomodate my most recent work restrictions. The final humiliation was being unable to open the fire door into the research area. I want my hands to heal. I would rather be working. I miss so many people that I passed so many days with accomplishing as well as exceeding so many work goals. Happy anniversary to me.