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New jobs all around, acro, musings
Things progress! The big news is all job-related... other people's jobs.
The biggest is that both![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
heisenbug and Scooper have new jobs now. The former makes me way, way, way happier about my domestic situation, even though it's only a six-week contracting job and I wonder if I'm over-valuing this on a gut level. At least he's really trying something, something that involves other people and payment and exploration. If I have a thing for employed people, is that a prejudice I should work on... or a valuation I can live with just fine?
Scooper's job is in California, which means he's finally actually moving away after years of talking about it. This does not sadden me the way the idea did in summer 2012 -- I'm pretty tired of the way he treats people, and not excited about his safety record this summer. At any rate, near the end of the jam I pinned him down (almost literally) and forced him to admit that we're not doing the student show. He hated to say it; hates to say no, hates to say yes. But it's fine; now I can move on from that idea.
While we're on the acro topic, there was ANOTHER injury in the park yesterday. The duo had a spotter (the flyer asked for one), but a high bird came down weirdly. The person kept playing after a while, but there was also a while of person lying on the ground while a ton of people stood around them. I sat back on my heels and talked gloomily with Gadget Boy: are people playing the odds a little too liberally?
I worked on my cartwheel into standing h2h with Scooper, and landed a couple, and my excitement was damped by my hope that people weren't going to emulate me. :-/
One thing handbalancing has over acro: there's not really the same dynamic of increasing risk along with increasing level of practice. If someone wants to work on really high canes, or chairs balanced on a boulder or whatever, that's kind of an extra.
Back to jobs: lastly, my direct report who was moving has moved. Last week was the first week she was in Mountain View. Silver lining: someone who is a friend is no longer a direct report, which lessens a slight awkwardness. But oh, is that a tiny silver lining. I feel a lot more alone. I'm thinking about how Peopleware, which I recently read, talks about how the manager is never really part of the happily jelled team -- at best they are accepted as a sometimes part. Still, there's not really any going back, and I do have a feeling of belonging now. It's just more diffuse than what a cozy, jelled team feels like. I haven't really felt that since Politic Frog, when there were five of us in a room... someone walked to the door and asked a question and three people answered at the same time using the same words. It was spooky, exciting, warm. Maybe I can create an environment where my reports have a chance to feel that.
The biggest is that both
heisenbug and Scooper have new jobs now. The former makes me way, way, way happier about my domestic situation, even though it's only a six-week contracting job and I wonder if I'm over-valuing this on a gut level. At least he's really trying something, something that involves other people and payment and exploration. If I have a thing for employed people, is that a prejudice I should work on... or a valuation I can live with just fine? Scooper's job is in California, which means he's finally actually moving away after years of talking about it. This does not sadden me the way the idea did in summer 2012 -- I'm pretty tired of the way he treats people, and not excited about his safety record this summer. At any rate, near the end of the jam I pinned him down (almost literally) and forced him to admit that we're not doing the student show. He hated to say it; hates to say no, hates to say yes. But it's fine; now I can move on from that idea.
While we're on the acro topic, there was ANOTHER injury in the park yesterday. The duo had a spotter (the flyer asked for one), but a high bird came down weirdly. The person kept playing after a while, but there was also a while of person lying on the ground while a ton of people stood around them. I sat back on my heels and talked gloomily with Gadget Boy: are people playing the odds a little too liberally?
I worked on my cartwheel into standing h2h with Scooper, and landed a couple, and my excitement was damped by my hope that people weren't going to emulate me. :-/
One thing handbalancing has over acro: there's not really the same dynamic of increasing risk along with increasing level of practice. If someone wants to work on really high canes, or chairs balanced on a boulder or whatever, that's kind of an extra.
Back to jobs: lastly, my direct report who was moving has moved. Last week was the first week she was in Mountain View. Silver lining: someone who is a friend is no longer a direct report, which lessens a slight awkwardness. But oh, is that a tiny silver lining. I feel a lot more alone. I'm thinking about how Peopleware, which I recently read, talks about how the manager is never really part of the happily jelled team -- at best they are accepted as a sometimes part. Still, there's not really any going back, and I do have a feeling of belonging now. It's just more diffuse than what a cozy, jelled team feels like. I haven't really felt that since Politic Frog, when there were five of us in a room... someone walked to the door and asked a question and three people answered at the same time using the same words. It was spooky, exciting, warm. Maybe I can create an environment where my reports have a chance to feel that.
no subject
Yeah, I didn't get a super-great impression of Scooper when he crashed here (kinda) when he was in town for an acro thing ages ago. Nothing bad, by any means, just... kinda flaky? Totally left me hanging when we were supposed to catch up one night.
On people emulating tricks... partly that goes with the circus turf. For all I adore YouTube, idiots try to pick up circus/new tricks/etc. from there, and it's fucking dangerous. Accidents do happen. But it's ultimately on to behave responsibly.
The most you can do is emulate good practices, with occasional loud observations of gratitude to safety lines for learning big tricks. That to me is actually where I lose the most respect for Scooper. Once you get to a certain level- ESPECIALLY for an instructor- you have an obligation to take risks extra carefully, because people in the community look up to and emulate you. You do not throw big tricks out of lines until they are ROCK SOLID. I would be traumatized by having a partner end up in the hospital, but two? Dude, there is a common denominator there, and it isn't acro or big tricks.
no subject
EEP! Injuries at the park? Yikes. I had no idea - hope that stops happening!