Where Working Meets Middle School

It's hard to be a grownup, isn't it? A working grownup, especially, whether the working is at home or caring for kids or at a workplace or simply looking for work.
 
I have begun to realize, however, that being a grown up working person is not that different from being in middle school...
 
1. No matter where you're working, and what kind of work you're doing, you almost always have to please multiple people at the same time. Kind of like the English teacher and the math teacher and the science teacher, each of whom expects that you can spend your whole evening doing homework for his or her class.
 
2. The people you talk to matter. When you're a grownup, you call it networking, but it's really not so different from thinking about who you're gonna sit with at lunch.
 
3. The amount of money you have in your pocket can really affect your outlook . Sure, for a grownup, it's about paying the bills and for a middle schooler, just about getting a snack with the group, but either way, it matters.
 
4. People can say harsh, even mean, things. Do your best, and develop a thick skin, and you will hold up better for the long haul.
 
5. Sometimes, the travel back and forth is the hardest part.
 
6. Social media may help you stay in the loop, but only as long as you don't let it take over your life.
 
7. In both work and middle school (well, at least middle school in NYC), getting in seems like the hardest part. It's not easy, but it's just the first step--and hopefully, it gets better from there.
 
8. That feeling of wanting (needing?) to be the best, the fastest, the funniest, the most liked doesn't go away, does it?
 
9. Middle school is temporary. Turns out, many times, so is work. In either case, if you've loved it, you can walk away with good memories. And if you haven't, well, it's not forever.
 
Think you're far beyond middle school? Think again. It's middle school, all day, every day. Hopefully just with a little more experience helping you to handle it.