A little scat...written not sung

When I think of scat in the music world, I think of something random but beautiful, so maybe entitling this entry as I did is self-flattering...and likely a misnomer, in light of the "beautiful" bit...but I also think of scat as coming off the top of someone's head. Since I'm in no way a regular Ella Fitzgerald (though Shawn sure thinks I am...his constant musical requests of me are, admittedly, more than a bit flattering!), I will scat here with the written word. I think most of my entries will be scattish. I'm not like other "bloggers" who have something particularly pertinant to write about or some kind of crafty idea to share or some amazing artwork to post. No...I'm just a regular chick who thinks about stuff and gets some kind of self-indulgent pleasure out of writing it down and knowing that it's there on the page for better or worse.

So, today I'm thinking about a lot of things...work, family, friends, and how to merge them all. I've been heading up an effort at my job to explore work-family balance. How do we as corporations, agencies, and good employers develop cultures that support our employees' needs to be good parents (or children, for that matter) while still maintaining high standards of work production? How do we address the national leadership crisis (yes, crisis...despite the present recession, lots and lots and LOTS of boomers will be retiring from leadership positions at ONCE and soon!)? What does the next generation want and need from employers...it's different, ya know. A lot different than our parents' or grandparents' needs. My parents both worked. 40 hours/week or more, Mom and Dad, for the majority of what I can remember (Mom went back when I started school) held meaningful public service jobs that did take them away from our home and out into the bigger work community. They have ben amazingly successful, worked their way up and up, and made a real difference in the world through their work. At the same time, I hated coming home from school to an empty house. I hated the title of "latch key kid". I hated feeling scared, hiding under the table when I heard funny noises. I don't want that to be the experience of my children. I want it all...home and work. I want to be as successful as my Mom and Dad, to give back, to make a difference, to leave a positive footprint. But I want to do that at work AND in my children's lives. Yet, I don't feel that many workplaces respect this new viewpoint, held by my contemporaries, most of whom shared my experience and, despite a strong work ethic, don't want work to own their lives. Work should supplement our lives, but family, children...that's the real LIVING in life! And I am hoping to be able to figure out how to balance the need to make an income and the desire to make a difference in the work world with my responsibility to be a good, present, loving, effective Mom. If anyone has any brilliant answers to this...fill me in! I know more people than not, Moms particularly, who struggle with the same questions. Most of us just want to stay home and be our kids' parents...but alas, our society puts no monetary value on that! So, I search...praying to find the magic answers! And I will continue my search...as with most things...perhaps endlessly!! But diligently!

Until next time I have a thought that moves me...