There are just some times when you don't want to go to work. Maybe you were out too late drinking last night? Maybe you were all up all night having sex? Maybe you just don't feel well? Or maybe you just need a mental health day? Whatever it is, sometimes you go into work against your better judgement when you just should have called in sick. On those days, you do the professional thing and show up because you don't want to screw anyone else over. However, sometimes, things are so bad you just should have stayed home because your productivity level might be at a low and your anxiety level might be at a high. Below are some of the days when I just should have called in sick...
1) Take Your Hangover to Work Day. An expected or unexpected night of drinking on a weeknight can be dangerous. What might have been a night of "yeah, I'll just have a drink or two" turns into "WTF happened last night and how did I even get home? And why is there vomit on my bathroom wall?" does not make for a good morning. These are the days that I am too embarrassed for myself to call in sick because I should know better by now than to get so drunk on a school night. Yet I occasionally do it. I deserve the misery that I am feeling at this moment. The exhaustion, nausea, headache, etc... are all my own fault. So I will suck it up, get up, treat myself a greasy breakfast and a Gatorade without any guilt and will this stupid hangover away. It usually lasts until about lunchtime and then I am okay because I have to be. I just have to. I can't let my teenage students know I am hungover. Unacceptable. So I will it away. Sometimes I think its better to just get going with the day even though I am miserable because otherwise I will sit home and bask in my hungover-ness all day. At work, at least I won't feel as worthless and irresponsible.
2) I Might Shit in My Pants Day. Since I have Ulcerative Colitis, this feeling can sometimes last a few days and let me tell you: It sucks. On days like this I will eat toast in the morning and then not really eat at all the rest of the day for fear of having to go to the bathroom. Since I am a teacher, I can't just get up and go to the bathroom if its urgent because I can't leave the kiddies alone. I have been lucky enough that if I have to go, I quickly call someone to come cover to me right away and have made it to the bathroom in time, but you just never know with this disease. Knock on wood, I haven't had the urgency where I just need to bolt out of the classroom. I do however, know my body well enough and if I am really suffering, I will not go into work (its too risky), but calling in sick is better than shitting myself in front of a room full of teenagers. And because I never want to gamble and lose, I keep an extra pair of pants and underwear in my desk just in case. You just never know. And I thank my lucky stars I haven't had to use them yet. Phew.
3) I am Going to Cry the Second I have any Human Interaction Day. This usually happens when I am PMSing and/or something bad/sad happens to me. I hold it all in and then when I see someone at work and they ask what's wrong because I look so bad/sad/annoyed, I just burst into tears. It's not something I am proud of at my age and often times I try to get all my tears out before I go to work because I know myself so well. If I make myself cry before the contact with people I know, I am usually good to go because its out of my system, but if I can't, look out because waterworks are-a-coming.
4) I May Fall Asleep at my Desk Day. These type of days happen when you just didn't get a lot of sleep the night before. Either you went to bed abnormally late, had to wake up super early, or just plain couldn't sleep. All of these scenarios make your next day at work pretty awful. People will stop and say "Oh, you don't look good." Well thanks asshole, I barely slept last night so thanks for pointing that out because (insert sarcasm) I had no idea I looked so terrible. Glad we cleared that up. On days like this, I wish I had the balls of George Costanza and just make a little bed under my desk to take a nap. That would be the life. But until then, I suck it up, do my job and just make sure I am asleep by like 7:30 that night to catch back up on my sleep.
You might be thinking "Why not just call in sick" on these types of days if things are so bad? Well, I don't like doing it. The way I feel, its sometimes just easier going in when not feeling well versus not going and coming back the next day to make up what I missed. It's more of a hassle in my opinion. Unless I am really sick or really, really unhappy/sad, I will will get up and give my job 100% everyday. I am a professional after all.
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