I've marveled before at the differences between being an adult and a child, but today, as I crawl back into bed coughing and sneezing and feeling like a truck is parked on my lungs, I have to comment on this phenomenon once again.
You see, as a child, and then as a teenager, a sick day was decided on by my mother. It should be noted, at this time, that my mother has a very liberal view of sick days.
I'm pretty sure that some of my high school teachers were convinced that I'd gotten myself a part-time job; I certainly wasn't in school very much. Any time I stayed up late and felt a little too tired to drag myself out of bed in the morning, I put on a sick face and a sicker voice, and explained to my mother that I was too sick to go to school.
My school wasn't thrilled, but as long as my mother was writing notes to testify that I was sick, there was little they could do, short of accusing my mother of lying.
I've certainly shocked myself, so I'm sure my teachers would pinch themselves if they would see me now; I've become a ridiculously responsible adult.
In my last job, I barely took off from work in years on the job. It all worked out pretty nicely though, because just before I quit I had surgery, so I used up years of sick days while recuperating.
In the six months since I've started my new job, I took off one Friday due to illness. I've been sick since then, but I just work through it, tough it out.
Today was day five of being sick. I skipped work. It wasn't without much deliberation. I was fully dressed with my hair done, about to start doing my makeup, when I realized that I was about to collapse. With an uncomfortable sinking kind of feeling taking over my insides, I emailed my boss that I'm not coming in and collapsed into bed. I woke up at 1:30 and called the doctor. Turns out, I have bronchitis.
The doctor started to say something about if I don't feel better tomorrow. I shook my head and explained to him that it's not an option. I WILL feel better tomorrow. I have to. I have almost no paid leave time left, I have a growing pile of work to get through, and I know that the longer I'm out the tougher it's going to be.
Look at that- I've become responsible!
My high school teachers should only see me now.
3 comments:
You must like your job! Or at least have developed an amazing work ethic since your school-skipping-sick-days..
I think at some point during a person's high school career they just lose interest/stop caring... high school loses it's important/value in some ways... at least, that's how i feel...
Refua Shelaima, hope you get back to work soon!
I was in the reverse position; my mother sent me to school, and it turned out I had fever.
In college I shlepped myself in, because no one took notes like me and no disease was going to hurt my GPA.
Now I can take sick days, lay in bed and watch Batman cartoons.
Ten years too late, but still sweet.
Refuah Shleima!
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