Occupational Hazard

It's a Wednesday. I am supposed to wrap-up all my classes by this week. Yup, it's week 14 in the course outline people, and many uni students are nervously waiting for exam week to begin. To me, what the week signify is that time sure zooms past! Tonnes (that's British metric system) of work are still left idle, serenely untouched, propped up at various corners in my office. the office is not as dingy as maktam's, it must be said, but all sorts of work-related papers are lying around miserably still. This week I was confronted with a few issues, like trying to decide whether to go to Bangkok or Penang for urgent meetings (of course work-related! I mean, hello...). For some the choice is rather obvious. I checked the valid date on my passport. Yup, we're good. Then again, Bangkok is currently bedlam, at least in some parts of the city. Protesters are taking to the streets, proof that democracy is alive and well but since I don't speak Thai, I am thinking..hmm..maybe NOW is not such a good time? So, that leave the option to drive up to Penang open...

All this made me think. I thought being in the teaching profession is a relatively mild sort of job, you know. the type of work people won't die in...but I am looking at things a little differently, now. We teachers are exposed to all kinds of occupational hazard. Well, I suppose all professions have their own sort of inherent or in-built risk factors but don't you go write us teachers off just yet. It's a no brainer that stress is a major cause for all sorts of diseases. In my line, we have stress for breakfast!! I mean, try teaching your child something good for them? Tricky? Well, now try teaching other people's child? Education is hard work. Then somebody said, teachers have all these spare time and holidays they could take. Itu pun hazardous. Don't get me started on travelling on local roads. Nk g meeting abroad pun, cam nak g Bangkok misalnya...susah jugak bila ada internal issues cam tu..so you see...life is hard. For everybody.

Tapi, really.Don't get me wrong. I am forever thankful for everything that I have. Syukur Alhamdulillah. We tend to only look inwardly kalau ada masalah. Trying comparing yourself to mereka yang lebih memerlukan. Muhasabah diri sikit. Memanglah manusia, mana ada yang cukup. I want to be mereka yang dah merasa cukup. Very tricky. Jangan stress out too much. Stress boleh, cikit2. Just know your limits lah kot...senyum, be brave and the rest, they say is biology!