The Workplace

[SpyridonOCA]

At my school, I have a campus job in which I call parents and alumni for donations to the scholarship fund. Sometimes, these same people share opinions about the college which I'm only able to give pre-written answers for. If the prospect presses the issue, I'm still only able to respond with the scripted reply.

This can be difficult for me, since many people hate my college for many reasons, and it's hard for me to not want to defend the merits of my school against attacks. Engaging the attacks themselves, even in a non-argumentative way, is not something we are allowed to do.

I've been reprimanded several times but I've never been fired. I'd like to believe it's because of the mount of money that I raise for the school. But it's also the charity of my boss which has allowed me to keep my job so far despite the complaints of my immediate supervisors. Today, I've been sent home again.

It's been said that what divides the classes isn't income but the amount of power one has over his own labor. If this is what I am to expect for the rest of my life, I have to learn to do whatever my supervisors tell me, no matter how unfair it seems at the time. My mother tells me to get used to stupid jobs, because in the end, they're all stupid anyway. I hope that this isn't the case.

[gzt]

Well, no, don't worry, this isn't what a typical work situation is like. Telemarketing, which is what this essentially is, is a special environment. So are call centers, other types of cold sales, etc.

Well, I mean, it really depends on what you're bristling about. Everything in this world, no matter what it is, involves some amount of stupid rules you have to follow because some guy above you says that's how it should be done. Even the coolest boss will have a point where he says, yes, it's stupid, but that's how you have to do it because the system is broken for some reason.

But what I really think you're bristling about, well, don't worry, you'll eventually be in a decent job that doesn't have that sort of nonsense. You're a bright person doing unskilled labor that nobody would like. Someday, you'll be doing skilled labor that some people, including you, might like. There you go. You're not built for a call center. But here's a bit of wisdom that should help you: when you're doing cold calls like this, you have to realize that your success depends on the small but regular percentage of people who will respond positively, so you're better off moving on to the next call. Trust me, you won't change the minds of people who disagree, you're just some punk kid on the phone, so it's best to let them go and get on to the next person.

[SpyridonOCA]

But what I really think you're bristling about, well, don't worry, you'll eventually be in a decent job that doesn't have that sort of nonsense. You're a bright person doing unskilled labor that nobody would like. Someday, you'll be doing skilled labor that some people, including you, might like. There you go.

I don't necessarily have a plan for after college aside from wanting to serve a cause higher than myself. If I could be the janitor for Mother Theresa, at least it's for something I believe in.

[gzt]

Aw, how cute.

[SpyridonOCA]

Being a church warden can be a full time position, something I wouldn't mind doing. Honestly, I am weak in understanding the outside world and the complex social situations most people take for granted. One of the reasons why I love the monastic life is its simplicity. There is good sense in obeying your elder monk because he is, after all, your spiritual father.

[gzt]

Right, that'd be a great thing to do. Manual labor really is far better than a call center. Here's an idea for a great job: the groundskeeper for a monastery. You could be married, have kids, but live on the grounds of a monastery. Best of both worlds. Positions are hard to come by, since most monasteries can manage for themselves in that respect and don't need some secular fellow around.

[SpyridonOCA]

Right, that'd be a great thing to do. Manual labor really is far better than a call center. Here's an idea for a great job: the groundskeeper for a monastery. You could be married, have kids, but live on the grounds of a monastery. Best of both worlds. Positions are hard to come by, since most monasteries can manage for themselves in that respect and don't need some secular fellow around.

I'm in sort of a limbo situation in which I know that I want to join the monastic life, and know which monastery I want to join, but the monastery isn't finished being built enough for me to move there. In the mean time, I have no plans other than getting my student loans paid as fast as possible, hopefully through working for a state program like Americorps.

I've wanted to join the monastic life since the eighth grade, and I haven't done much to prepare myself for an alternative. I have no interest in getting married or working my way up in the secular world. I've been asked on the phone what I want to do after college, and I've been told that I'm crazy for wanting to live a life of celibacy. But monasticism isn't celibacy for the sake of celibacy. Giving up everything to belong to something higher than myself is all I could want.

[Khaleas]

Last time I checked political debate was not part of monasticism... that might need some work.
In regards to raising money for universities... I think most alumni of any school are pretty sick of that whole deal. Any time I get a letter from my alma mater they want money, I mean it was really a cruddy feeling at graduation when you don't get a diploma (that they send you later) but a rolled up piece of paper that says: Congratulations, now give us your money!
Umm, yea, I just did that for the past 4 years!!!
It left such a bad taste to me that I instead established a small stipend directly under the department I had been in. That way I know approximately where it goes and know that it doesn't go to a new elevator to the wine cellar in the HUGE mansion the university president lives in.

[gorion]

Dino Rossi? How'd he get in here?

[SpyridonOCA]

Dino Rossi? How'd he get in here?

Free advertising is a good thing. :)

[gorion]

Last time I checked political debate was not part of monasticism... that might need some work.
In regards to raising money for universities... I think most alumni of any school are pretty sick of that whole deal. Any time I get a letter from my alma mater they want money, I mean it was really a cruddy feeling at graduation when you don't get a diploma (that they send you later) but a rolled up piece of paper that says: Congratulations, now give us your money!
Umm, yea, I just did that for the past 4 years!!!
It left such a bad taste to me that I instead established a small stipend directly under the department I had been in. That way I know approximately where it goes and know that it doesn't go to a new elevator to the wine cellar in the HUGE mansion the university president lives in.
I just skipped University and avoided the whole thing ;)