Painted black

I'm on the organizing committee of the seminar of a youth network.

The dynamic of the committee is very different from the usual Company stuff. We are all volunteers so there are no bosses. Leaders, yes, bosses no. So we try and reach most decisions by consensus rather than one chief making an executive decision or going along with the majority. Of course, it sometimes takes quite a while to reach a consensus. But there are no ranks, no hierarchy. Each voice is as important as the other. On a group dynamics and psychological point of view, it makes for rather fascinating observation and practice. You learn to chose your battles, when to go with the flow and when to put your foot down.

You observe the personalities: the flexible and the rigid, the driven and the relaxed, the original and the punctilious, the taciturn and the chatterbox, and there's no right and wrong or good or bad. It's not a perfect system by any means but I find it an outstanding exercize in social skills.

I'm driving two hours both ways tomorrow for an out-of-town all-day meeting with the committee. It will take me away from the office and I love traveling on my own, especially with a large cup of coffee planted beside me.

But the truth is, tonight, I see everything in black (I know -change of tone). I'm so discouraged about a whole bunch of things that there is only one thing to do, I shall bravely do it, and on the double: go to bed and get some much needed sleep. I'll try not to have nightmares of kittens being eaten by sharks, as I had this weekend. I don't even feel coherent at this stage. Spellchecking and editing will be tomorrow.
Curtain.