I might need some help

[Popcorn Sutton]

I don't expect that you guys will take me seriously when I say this, but I have been surprised several times at how friendly the staff and participants on these forums have been by now.

 

I'm at risk of losing my job because of a miserable manager. She's mean, not much more to say about her.

 

If you truly know me, then you also know how important my phone and my electronic devices are for me. I talk with a lot of very important people using my phone and I cannot risk having someone take it away from me (and my friends have done this several times before, each of which I kindly let them know that I was leaving and I needed my phone back). Today, she told me that she has seen me on the phone several times and I need to either leave it in the car or she's going to take it away. I can't risk not having my phone on me and if she does take it away, I'm literally going to walk out the door and call MRS on her. Would someone be so kind to help me out and explain to her how important it is that I have my phone on me. My livelihood literally depends on it (in more ways than one).

[hypervalent_iodine]

Popcorn, your manager has every right to ask you not to use your phone during work hours. You are being paid to work, not to socialise or engage in private conversation and your boss is within their rights to ask you to stop. If they have asked you not to have your phone on you but you have legitimate emergency reasons to need it, then explain it to them and maybe (probably) they'll be okay with you simply having it on you. Otherwise I'm afraid that it is you who is in the wrong here and you should maybe consider taking responsibility for yourself and your actions. Perhaps you should ask these 'important people' to call you outside of your shifts? Seems like a pretty simple solution to me.

[Popcorn Sutton]

I don't think you're getting the point. Not only am I waiting on emails and calls from potential employers, but sometimes I find myself speaking with very important people, and sometimes the messages are urgent. I respect company policy, and I never waste time on my phone when I don't feel that it is necessary, but when I find myself speaking with politicians, diplomats, military officials, professors of world renowned technological institutions, researchers, covert operants, guards, and even local officials, I feel the need to have my phone on me, and sometimes these messages are urgent. Not only do I have a chance at a better life, but I also know that my words and the code I've written could be relevant and useful, and I feel that it's better that I tell them now as opposed to after I stock the shelves with two liters of soda. It really sucks to work overnights and get an occasional message of high importance but get yelled at by a mean manager or have my phone taken away and hidden from me so I can play cards (and I hate playing cards). Not only am I about to miss the messages at night, but I also risk sleeping during the day which is also when I receive messages of high importance. Like I said before, when I have my phone taken away, I kindly let that person know that I am leaving and I need it back, and I don't lie. I've upset a lot of people by doing that and I don't intend on making any exceptions until I am in the presence of these people that I respect and am willing to risk my life for.

Edited February 20, 2014 by Popcorn Sutton

[CaptainPanic]

You are paid to fill the shelves (of a shop) with soda bottles.

You spend your time making phone calls to people who are important to you personally, but who are of no importance to the shop (they bring no income).

 

The responsibility of your boss is to make as much revenues as possible in the shop.

The responsibility of you is to listen to your boss. In exchange, you get paid.

 

If you fail at your responsibility, you can get fired.

 

This is just how things are in this world. No matter how important your other tasks are, you cannot decide to ignore your boss, and do something else with your time. To your boss, the importance of those phone calls is totally irrelevant (it might as well be a phone call to the Sesamestreet hotline). Your boss has no responsibilities towards any of the people you are calling with. She has only a responsibility to that shop, and I think she's doing a good job reminding you of your responsibilities.

 

If you really cannot make those phone calls at another time, then I suggest you find another job... But please realize that your next boss will probably think the same about you spending work-time to do non-work things.

 

One suggestion: if the people you are on the phone with also agree that you do impotant work, perhaps they can pay you for it? Then you don't need to fill any shelves, and you can be on the phone all day!

[Popcorn Sutton]

Oops i meant to give a +1 to that last message but accidentally clicked -1, moderators please fix that if you can and delete this message! Thanks for the input cap'n! I agree completely

Why don't you guys talk to Cap'n Refsmat for me, I became aware that he's doing the same type of work that I concern myself with.

[Phi for All]

I don't think you're getting the point. Not only am I waiting on emails and calls from potential employers, but sometimes I find myself speaking with very important people, and sometimes the messages are urgent. I respect company policy, and I never waste time on my phone when I don't feel that it is necessary, but when I find myself speaking with politicians, diplomats, military officials, professors of world renowned technological institutions, researchers, covert operants, guards, and even local officials, I feel the need to have my phone on me, and sometimes these messages are urgent. Not only do I have a chance at a better life, but I also know that my words and the code I've written could be relevant and useful, and I feel that it's better that I tell them now as opposed to after I stock the shelves with two liters of soda. It really sucks to work overnights and get an occasional message of high importance but get yelled at by a mean manager or have my phone taken away and hidden from me so I can play cards (and I hate playing cards). Not only am I about to miss the messages at night, but I also risk sleeping during the day which is also when I receive messages of high importance. Like I said before, when I have my phone taken away, I kindly let that person know that I am leaving and I need it back, and I don't lie. I've upset a lot of people by doing that and I don't intend on making any exceptions until I am in the presence of these people that I respect and am willing to risk my life for.

 

Remember that you're working on more empathy with others? How would this sound to your manager if she read this? "I respect company policy but I might get a call about a better job!"

 

If you were the manager, responsible for the workers under you, would you want someone who suddenly gets phone calls from politicians and has to immediately stop working to take the call, even though you're paying him to work? Before you answer with more special pleading, what if ALL your employees did this?

Why don't you guys talk to Cap'n Refsmat for me, I became aware that he's doing the same type of work that I concern myself with.

 

"Hey Cap'n, I know someone who wants to work with you. Well, not WORK work, sort of like SOME work in between phone calls to politicians and better job offers..."

[Popcorn Sutton]

I've been reminding myself of how horrible of a person I am lately, thanks for backing up that point. This is why I sleep for more than 10 hours a day lately.

 

Another side of me wants to believe that I'm really not that bad.

[hypervalent_iodine]

Oh, stop it. Receiving advice that doesn't agree with your world view does not mean that the people giving you the advice are insulting you.

[Popcorn Sutton]

I'm not taking it as an insult. I've been very humbled lately, and I'm slipping into a depression again. I really hate knowing that because it's like I just recently came out of one that lasted over 4 years of my life.

 

I just notice my thoughts beating me up again. I'm getting anxiety a lot lately and, when that happens, I put myself down. I really don't get mad, and I never dwell on negativity. Really, science is my only outlet, and I think that I've been lacking insight lately.

[Popcorn Sutton]

I'm going to change my approach drastically heheh time for some life changes

[Popcorn Sutton]

 

Well, after one night with a new attitude (a very strange one, but one that I find extraordinarily attractive in one particular female), I've got a job opportunity playing piano for some big shot hip hop trap house techno rap style gurus in the area. I also met some cool people. I've also learned not to give two doodoo pies.

[physica]

have you thought about writing a book??? You're life seems way more interesting than mine.

[Popcorn Sutton]

I've wrote two. One is called Scientocracy: The Proliferation of Science in Identifying Significant Issues, the other is called... Nvm. If you want to know I might fill you in over pm

[Phi for All]

I've been reminding myself of how horrible of a person I am lately, thanks for backing up that point. This is why I sleep for more than 10 hours a day lately.

 

Another side of me wants to believe that I'm really not that bad.

 

You need something more effective than apathy, self-loathing and equivocation. Really think about it and see if you don't agree.

 

You have a lot to offer the world. Take a minute, take that on board.

 

 

 

 

You have a lot of baggage you've preconceived about yourself that makes you depressed and stressed out. Take a minute to take that on board as well.

 

 

 

This is just my opinion, mind you, so it's worth is inestimable ( ​), but you seem to be living just the first half of the Zen philosophy where you tear yourself down until you realize that, in the cosmic scheme of things, YOU ARE NOTHING. The half you're missing is that now, finally, YOU CAN BECOME SOMETHING.

 

You've been working pretty hard on the first half. Maybe it's time to drop that and focus on the second? You're all stick where your ambitions are concerned. Success relies on some carrot, too.

[Popcorn Sutton]

Yay!