Member-only story
I Quiet Quit Years Ago
And, I’m better for it
It’s 2013 and I’m 24. I’m staring into her eyes, damp from the freshly drawn tears, and I imagine they must have once been filled with light. I imagine that everyone’s eyes are filled with hope, like those of children, at least once. But, not now. Now, they are weary. Perhaps now, they’ve seen too much. It’s been a long summer; in fact, a long year. I’ve been working at the senior center for ten months and while I was happy they wanted me to stay on staff following my internship, more than anything, I was grateful. Graduate school was expensive and I needed the money. Plus milieu therapy had its benefits. Done were the verbatim notes on each conversation or session that I conducted. Instead, I was to be part of the community. Listen when they spoke, dine when they went for lunch, and help them with their daily tasks, which often had to do with insurance claims and benefits. It was routine and comfortable.
I’m not telling anyone to quit their job or shirk their responsibilities. I’m saying that giving more of your time, energy, passion, and enthusiasm to the things that matter most to you will always feel better than anything else.
