New stuff in my life

[luzula]

I am now on the board of a Swedish environmental organization called "Protect the Forest". We had the first board meeting yesterday (over Skype) and it left me rather exhausted. Part of this was because Skype was being sucky and kept disconnecting and giving us terrible sound quality, but it's also the flow of new information. I've worked with forestry stuff before, so I'm not a newbie, but I've been out of the loop for two or three years, so there's a lot to absorb. But there's also the whole political maneuvering aspect that comes with it. Which, fair enough, environmental politics is a power struggle and you can't get away from that. But I don't have a talent for that kind of maneuvering.

I've got a close friend on the board (I probably wouldn't have joined if she hadn't been there, too), so I know I can get support from her. I'm the treasurer, and I'm confident of my abilities there, so I know I can bring something to the table. And I've felt for a while that I wanted to get back into doing environmental work.

There's some other stuff going on right now, too, and I feel a little stressed out, which manifests itself in my doing things in my head (or thinking about doing them) before I actually do them. I'd like to just write them up on my to-do list and not obsess about them before their time. Ah well, hopefully I will eventually find a good balance. And I don't intend to give up fandom. *clings*

Comments

[akamine_chan]

*hugs you tight*

Don't let the little stuff weigh you down, sweetie.

Also, yay for your environmental work!

[luzula]

*hugs back*

Thanks, Aka, I needed that. And yes, it's strange how the little things can weigh you down sometimes.

[innocentsmith]

Ugh, I can see why the political manuevering stuff would get you down. But for the other stuff, I'm sure you'll get back in the loop soon, and it does sound like very workwhile work.

*hugs*

Also, I got your postcard today! It's lovely! The picture of the dogs is very pretty, and the story made me smile. Thank you!

[luzula]

Ugh, I can see why the political manuevering stuff would get you down.

Yeah. For example, the board was discussing something, and then by some weird chance I get a call from my aunt, who's a high official in our equivalent of the Environmental Protection Agency, and she happened to start talking about this very thing. Do I tell the other people on the board what she said? It wasn't exactly secret stuff, but she pretty clearly wouldn't have phrased it the way she did if she'd been talking in an official capacity. Now I feel like I have to decide who I'm loyal to. /o\

*hugs back*

I'm glad you got the postcard! It was cool to actually find a postcard with dogsledding on it.

[mergatrude]

Yay, you! *sends fortifying hugs*

[luzula]

Thank you! Fortifying hugs much appreciated. *hugs back*

[exeterlinden]

Sending you a hug. I'll cross my fingers that the stress eases down sooner rather than later for you.

[luzula]

Thanks! *hugs back* I feel a little bit better already--someone in my household made a delicious dinner last night and we all ate it together. And then my boyfriend baked a cake.

[jesse_the_k]

Sometimes when my to-dos feeling overwhelming I copy them on to new stickies and move 'em around in columns and make patterns and that somehow gives me a feeling of control.

Good on you for donating your scientific knowledge and skills in the protection of our planet! Committees can be funny when they're not making steam come of your ears, and you can always make fun of them under a lock here :,)

[luzula]

Something that gives me a feeling of control is to filter all emails related to this into a special label on Gmail, bypassing the inbox. Then I don't have to see them as they come in, and can deal with them in a time I choose.

And thanks for the good wishes!

[julia-here.livejournal.com]

I admire you the more for taking this on; I've worn myself out in the service of various environmental causes over the years, and am reduced, these days, to writing testimony for others to deliver at Environmental Impact hearings.

Here's hoping that you don't encounter too many people who confuse their ideal situation with what can actually be done in the real world.

Julia, luckily you are not in a country which thinks human beings are not animals who have to be considered part of the environment!

[luzula]

I spent about four years in one environmental organization which worked well socially, and where I didn't feel like I gave more energy than I got. But it was a youth organization, and sadly I had to leave it because I got too old. I've wanted to find something else, and I'm hopeful about this new one because my friend who's on the board is part of the group I worked with in the youth organization. We're trying to pull together some of the same people we worked with before (who are all too old for the youth organization by now). I hope we succeed, and I also hope I can find a level of engagement that won't wear me out. Thanks for your good wishes!