JOIN THE MOVEMENT

Becoming a Volunteer Ranger for Sustrans was one of the best moves I have ever made. Being ill last year put me at a bit of a disadvantage, and although I had expressed an interest in taking on the role of Liaison Ranger, purely because nobody else seemed interested, I wasn't sure whether I might be taking on too much. However, I got sort of swept along on a tide of enthusiasm where everyone just sort of assumed that I'd be doing it, and here I am. Today I have had my first face-to-face meeting with Paul Smith, the "Horseriding, Walking and Cycling Officer" for Pembrokeshire County Council (snappy title - lucky bugger). He's full of energy and enthusiasm and we chatted easily for a couple of hours. He's definitely a man with whom I can work. Next step is a meeting with ourselves and Roanna. It's a bit annoying that these people are getting paid for what I'm doing voluntarily, but maybe this is a step in the right direction for me, career-wise.
I could not stand being at work this morning, and eventually left about a half hour early (with permission of course). The time drags, the phone lines are constant, and there's no change in tone the whole time, an endless stream of scottish hard luck stories which all begin to merge into one: "mah benefits were all paid intae the bank this morning and went straight back out to pay the phone bill" "What? BT just took £120 out of your account without asking you?" "Aye" "Do you have a copy of the phone bill?" "Nah" and so on and so on until you become blurred by disbelief, which is not a situation I like to find myself in. This is not the job I signed up for.
On top of the doom and gloom of the workaday routine there's the complaints. I'm getting more and more stressed by the whole damned affair, more and more annoyed that others are happily riding along on the crest of the wave that I alone created, so it's best to not think about it till I have to. I think I've already decided that I won't be going to work tomorrow.