Working in the middle of a cubical farm, I am subjected to the conversations, mutterings, and sounds of the people around me. Try as I might it is impossible to ignore all the snatches of conversation that drift over the wall from my neighbors. Recently I have been privy to some rather involved plans for a birthday party. Catering. Pavilion rental. An Elvis impersonator, for crying-out-loud.
Today’s installment in this saga hinges around the weather forecast for the day of the event. A high of 46 with a chance of rain mixed with snow showers. Not ideal party weather. But not the end of the world either.
What strikes me most about this is the anger and upset the weather is causing is the futility of raging against something you have no control over. There is absolutely nothing that can be done about the weather. If you are planning an outdoor party any time of the year you should have a contingency plan for inclement weather. And if you plan an outdoor party in April in the Midwest you shouldn’t have a stroke when the forecast is wintry rather than summery.
The lesson here for me is to recognize when I am allowing me blood pressure to be controlled by external forces, especially when those forces might be inanimate. Also, that nothing you say or do at work is private. The guy one cube over might have a weblog…