ignorance

When Samuel and I walked this morning I saw a tiny, timid, quick fawn. I have no picture because I had a vintage lens on and it takes time to focus. 

After we were safely indoors and I was back at work there was dramatic thunder and then a serious downpour. This is a crop of my view from my office area. When I set up the new desk I'm going to put it right in front of my window. Right now I'm on the opposite side with only artificial light. One of my new coworkers teased me and said that through the online meetings it looks like I'm locked in a bunker, underground. 

It is a shame that some people are afraid to be less than competent at everything they do. They lose the wonderful opportunity to explore new hobbies, like photography. You are beginning something new, there is no reasonable expectation of expertise, you can just enjoy. In fact, you never have to get "good" at it, as long as you enjoy it. 

I get to have one on one meetings with everyone on my team, just so we can get to know each other. Yesterday I talked with the most delightful, extroverted, energetic young woman who feels very badly for people who have only had things come easily to them because they can't handle it when things don't and thus can't bear to try new things. She plays soccer, horribly, and loves it. 

I am in that wonderful honeymoon period at work where I can be ignorant and it is ok. My boss asked what I wasn't understanding and each of the three things made absolute sense to her. How do government annual funds work? Who do we talk to in Congress? How does policy get made and percolated down through the executive branch? There are so many people who assess you on what you don't know/can't do rather than what you do know/can contribute. It is cool to be valued for what I bring and not knocked for what I don't. 

On a completely different subject, season 1 episode 1 Scott & Bailey:  "shag bandit rubber knickers." Ok, shag bandit is a man who has many sexual partners. Rubber knickers are something you put on babies. The combination is weird but "shag bandit" sounds like a cool phrase.