Sickness guilt

Published by neil on February 8th, 2008

Come on, admit it, we have all taken the odd ’sickie’ here and there when we were not really ill. Now I can understand feeling guilt over that, but why should I currently feel guilty about being knocked completely flat by the flu since last Sunday evening?

I was forced to miss on some important work stuff this week, stuff that I have been preparing for several weeks now. People were relying on me to be places, attend meetings, and generally do what I do. Instead I had to put additional pressure on others to step in and fill the gap. That’s what working in a team is all about, right? I mean, I would do what is necessary to fill gaps when required. But I still feel bad about it. I have a fundamental distaste for doing something - however unintentional or avoidable - that results in someone else having to do more, be put out, or change their plans.

Even when, such as this week, it all started with someone deciding not to stay indoors and give themselves time to recover from the flu before going out in public last week. Whoever that was, thank you, your unadulterated gift was bags of fun. And ended up with this text you are reading being the first time I am capable of forming enough words for a blog post, the best part of a week later. Frustration is high right now, but I thankfully do not have the energy to stomp around a fume for a bit.

Back on the subject: maybe I should just get a grip and accept the professionalism of the team I work with, and their ability to deal with whatever comes just as I would in their shoes. Maybe too many years as a freelancer having very few others to rely on has skewed my thinking a little.

Bah, that’s enough, time to grab some of that big bottle of catch-up and finally sweep this virus-infested, zombie-groaning, must-stop-watching-In-The-Night-Garden-because-it’s-so-trippy, week firmly into the ’shit happens’ trash bin.

Tags: people
Posted in Personal |