I once heard someone say that it's not the (symbolic) elephants that cause overseas workers to leave the field and return home, but the ants. An elephant, as massive as it can be, usually seems temporary - it comes, does its thing/gets dealt with, and moves on. A constant stream of ants, on the other hand? Not so much. Quite the persistent little buggers! On a less symbolic note, I've always considered elephants much cuter than ants anyhow.
This week I've found myself trying to sort out my own ants vs. elephants. After all, one's better equipped to handle a situation if the nature of it is understood first, no? True to the analogy, I've come up with quite a few more ants on my list than elephants - things that independently shouldn't be such a big deal, but have acquired a knack for wearing me down nonetheless.
Ants:
~Lack of consistent internet connection
~Lack of communication with family/friends/support network in the states
~Finally having a good enough connection, only to hear of tough times for loved ones
~Feeling guilty about being so far away while they have hard times
~Dreary, dreary weather (It almost seems wrong having this on my list because of the higher than usual allotment of vitamin D for the area this year, not to mention the ways I came better prepared to counteract the dreariness, but motherofpearl if the sunshine doesn't make a huge difference!)
~Unsolicited advice on everything including what to eat and how to dress for the weather ("It's so changeable!" "Yeah? Well, I'm an adult!")
~Learning not to take the constant stream of cultural differences personally
~Language study (It took me quite a while to (grudgingly) categorize this as an ant instead of an elephant - this language is hard, y'all.)
~ Loud noises - anytime, anywhere (Sometimes this one sounds like elephants...)
Elephants:
~Meeting with the school administration to discuss severe cases of cheating (Wish me luck!)
~Thinking cheating is an elephant and then finding out about truly heartbreaking situations that some students are involved in and feeling completely lost about how to guide them
How do you find yourself reacting when facing your own ants/elephants? Gaining a better understanding of the problem - what can be changed/what can't be seems to help me, and remembering to count my blessings when the problems feel overwhelming. I'd love to hear what works (or doesn't!) for y'all.
This week I've found myself trying to sort out my own ants vs. elephants. After all, one's better equipped to handle a situation if the nature of it is understood first, no? True to the analogy, I've come up with quite a few more ants on my list than elephants - things that independently shouldn't be such a big deal, but have acquired a knack for wearing me down nonetheless.
Ants:
~Lack of consistent internet connection
~Lack of communication with family/friends/support network in the states
~Finally having a good enough connection, only to hear of tough times for loved ones
~Feeling guilty about being so far away while they have hard times
~Dreary, dreary weather (It almost seems wrong having this on my list because of the higher than usual allotment of vitamin D for the area this year, not to mention the ways I came better prepared to counteract the dreariness, but motherofpearl if the sunshine doesn't make a huge difference!)
~Unsolicited advice on everything including what to eat and how to dress for the weather ("It's so changeable!" "Yeah? Well, I'm an adult!")
~Learning not to take the constant stream of cultural differences personally
~Language study (It took me quite a while to (grudgingly) categorize this as an ant instead of an elephant - this language is hard, y'all.)
~ Loud noises - anytime, anywhere (Sometimes this one sounds like elephants...)
Elephants:
~Meeting with the school administration to discuss severe cases of cheating (Wish me luck!)
~Thinking cheating is an elephant and then finding out about truly heartbreaking situations that some students are involved in and feeling completely lost about how to guide them
How do you find yourself reacting when facing your own ants/elephants? Gaining a better understanding of the problem - what can be changed/what can't be seems to help me, and remembering to count my blessings when the problems feel overwhelming. I'd love to hear what works (or doesn't!) for y'all.
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