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October 27, 2004
Relief
Hallelujah, our presentation is over!! Actually, aside from some intial technical difficulties, it went exceptionally well. We stayed in the time limit, we got good questions (to which we knew the answers!), and were done before 9:30 a.m. We decided to give ourselves a couple days before meeting again to go over last minute edits for the paper, which isn't due until November 2.
Once the presentation was over, I was able to sit back and enjoy 3 other group presentations, which were entitled:
* Blekinge Institute of Technology - a journey towards sustainability
* The Future of Biodiesel [with an intriguing discussion of algae as a source of biodiesel]
* Sustainability in Hospitals
I was amazed by the variety of talents and expertises in the groups--one group in particular had an amazing graphic representation of what a "sustainable school" would look like--it was truly awesome.
After class, I made the dreaded trip to Karlskronahem to beg for my apartment back. Fortunately, there was no groveling required, and I paid my rent for November and was out of the office in a mere 30 minutes. I also swung by Affairsverken, which as I understand it is the Karlskrona utility company, to pay my internet bill. Then I stopped by the grocery store and picked up some stuff for sandwiches and soup. By then I had spent nearly $500, so I decided to call it a day and took the bus back home.
A long nap after lunch made me very happy, and dinner was followed with a lovely chat with Roya. She is a very interesting girl--so intense and the most empathetic person I have ever met. We talked about how to get the most out of the program, given our frustrations, and how to balance efficiency and effectiveness on on hand, with collaboration and dialogue on the other. It's given me lots to think about.
Over the past few weeks, I've realized that my main block in life is that I am intolerant of other people's...well, of other people. So many things come easily to me, and I get frustrated when other people take their time achieving the same outcome. Part of this is justified, I think--I believe its reasonable to be irritated when a person who has spent the last 3 of 5 nights at the bar keeps complaining about how they "just can't find the time to study". On the other hand, some people learn through deep, quiet, persistent means, and I can't be judgemental when it takes a little extra time to complete group projects.
This is not news to me--in fact, I have had lots of people tell me that my "aggressiveness" in dealing with people and projects is both a strength and weakness. My problem is that I don't know how to work on the "weakness" part of it. I have been told (rather patronizingly, I think), that this will come with time--that it's an issue of emotional maturity. But certainly, I don't need to wait for 20 more years to be suddenly graced with patience and empathy?
So the new challenge for me is to consciously pay attention to how I am treating people--and to the mechanisms that trigger my annoyance. I need to recognize that there is a distinction (although not always clear in the moment) between true stupidity and an alternative learning/thinking style. I want to take my high standards and apply them correctly--it only hurts me to negatively judge people for differences that ultimately make us all richer. Or at least, I'd like to believe that--secretly, a part of me believes that if everyone were just a little bit more like me, the world would be in much better shape.
