Happy Thursday, Everyone!

Random fact about me, I love to say happy Thor’s day since the days of the week were originally named after planets and Germanic gods.I know that makes me a little weird but I swear that once you start thinking about how ancient cultures gave certain attributes to each day of the week you never look at each day quite the same again.  Thor’s planet is Jupiter and represents abundance. ( If you prefer Greek and Roman mythology, Jupiter is the planet of Zeus.) Just a little fun trivia to start your day.

Enough random trivia and on to today’s thoughts.

I am very happy to be taking a personal day and spending time with my uncle today before he heads back to California.  I was actually very nervous about taking a personal day so early in the school year. Past experiences, not related to my years of teaching,  have made me worried that I would be judged or held in contempt for my decision. In fact, I actually felt the need to justify myself a little bit to my principal. Needless to say, he did not need and explanation and reminded me that personal days are in place for that very reason. We proceeded to have a nice talk about my uncle.

Over the past several months I have read in various blogs claims that single people are often discriminated against in the work place.The discrimination usually comes in the form of work loads. Single people may be expected to work longer hours, weekends, or holidays to give married employees more time with their families.In addition, employers may see married employees as more stable and responsible and therefore  give them preferential work loads, clients, and promotions. I have to admit I have not seen any hard data on this, just read the conversations. In my experience as a life long single person who has worked for many different supervisors and several different companies, my observation is that it can happen. It truly depends on the company and the boss. Even in a large company or franchise with set policies, experiences can vary with each change in management. Career field also plays a large factor in experiencing discrimination and I suspect single women may have different experiences than single men.  Being single in a world of equal opportunity is an area where discrimination can covertly take place without much fuss or attention being drawn to the situation. I am very blessed to be in a career, district, and school where equality does prevail among licensed professionals. I do not take my good fortune for granted. Being both single and a woman, I know countless people worked hard over the decades to make my current situation a reality.

The reason I bring this up is because I want to encourage my fellow single friends to value your life, your career, and your time away from work. Do not let anyone convince you that you deserve less time with your loved ones or less money and opportunity for advancement just because you are not married. Fight the stereotype that you are a party girl or guy who will become more serious about your career when you settle down and get married. I would not suggest for a moment that you walk into your place of employment tomorrow and preach to everyone about discrimination against single people,but I do think gently making those around you aware that you have a rich, full life outside of work and that you are committed 100 percent to your career will be to your benefit and add to the collective efforts to make our society more equable and just for everyone. Single people often lead different lives than their married counterparts and coworkers but our contributions to our careers and to our communities is just as important. Educate those around you about all you offer to your family, community, and career.

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts. Have an abundant Thor’s day.

Thanks for stopping by the blog!

Until next time,

Laura