Sylvia's Journal

The pace of work is picking up. It is work that doesn’t require travel. I am light years away from where I was last year.  My NONPROJ status, as I am labeled on our personnel database, is turning out to be an asset rather than a liability. I have my hand in many initiatives and interact with many more parts of MSH than I have ever done. I am discovering wonderful colleagues both at HQ and by phone in the field, and re-connecting with those from years past.

I am involved in all sorts of design work, whether for events, meetings, conference or projects and realize that this is where I am at my best – talking with people, creating new viewpoints out of many different viewpoints, looking for patterns, synthesizing inputs, and finding simplicity, as Oliver Wendell Holmes put it so well,  on the other side of complexity. I think it is the creativity, the starting with a blank slate that is most attractive to me, as well as the chance to follow my curiosity (‘gee, what do others think about this?’). It is all most satisfying.

I had hoped to visit with some of my DC friends but the days are full with task-related conversations and the evenings/nights with writing.  The few slots I had available as free time are being filled in one by one.

I am also learning about new technical areas and topics I knew nothing about, such as pharmacy outlets, midwife led birth centers, behavior change communication and training for rehab staff who help those with mobility challenges to get the right wheelchair, including fitting, maintenance and the fabrication of support cushions.