Through Burnout and Back: I'm not Peeing on the Electric Fence

A few months ago, one of my members gave me a joke to share with our senior citizens at our Senior service.  It goes kind of like this:

There are three kinds of men in this world:

1. Those who learn by reading.

2. Those intelligent few who learn by observation.

3. And the rest of those who have to pee on the electric fence before they get it.

I've stuck this one deeply into the recesses of my brain when it comes to things.  And in the course of dealing with this burnout stuff, I'm hearkening back to it.  I hope I am falling into category #2.

I learn a lot by visiting with people in my job.  I learn doubly from people who suffer life-altering circumstances in their own lives. 

A few weeks ago, I visited with a member who has stage 4 pancreatic cancer.  We're all aware of what that means. 

(I have my member's permission to share the following.)

In our conversation, Buddy reflected upon many of the things in his life up to that point.  He had a very good job, but it was tremendously stressful.  He was on call week after week after week.  He fielded phone calls on the weekends and had to travel a lot.

He said, "As I think back on it, I wonder if it was worth it.  I didn't gain anything financially.  There was no benefit, really, for my family.  As I think about it, it wasn't worth it."

Buddy is now spending all the time he can with his family and friends.  Fortunately, his boss has told him to take all the time he needs.  Work is no longer a priority or a pressing matter.  Family and friends come first--along with his relationship with God.

Pancreatic cancer has a way of rearranging your priorities. 

I don't want to learn from peeing on an electric fence.

The other day, I had all my work finished by 3 in the afternoon.  I had visited folks and made phone calls.  I could have come up with something else to do, but I had a little girl who wanted to build a "habitat."  I had two other kids who longed to see their dad since they got out of school.  H.E.B. had had rib eye steaks on sale, and a couple of them were screaming to be grilled. 

I left the office.

I will do it again.