Patience

I should have made one of my New Year's Intentions to focus on patience. Or
maybe that would have been a waste of an intention. Because I am being
forced to be patient. Against my will. Kicking and screaming. And cussing.
Loudly. 

Despite being on a ship, most of my job is administrative. Sure, I get to do
cool stuff like coach JOs during shiphandling exercises, coordinate damage
control training and assist with operations like being on the bridge for a
go-fast chase or making sure the processing of migrants onboard goes
smoothly, but really, most of my job is on the computer, typing emails,
reviewing memos and other communiqués, approving purchases, reading
messages, and looking stuff up online. 

When we're at the pier (this last inport not-withstanding) we generally have
good internet connectivity. When we're underway, we still have connectivity.
But it's not lightening fast like we get used to inport, and there are
various things that can interfere with it.

So I am having to acclimatize to an email that takes 45 seconds to open, a
webpage that takes four minutes to load, or at least two minutes to switch
between screens in Outlook. I am breathing deeply a lot. I am finding other,
ship's server-based things on which to work. I am getting used to being
frantically productive when it seems like we have decent connectivity. I am
working on being more patient.

Unfortunately, what seems to be happening is that I'm using up all my
patience on the damn computer, and have less for dealing with the actual
human interactions upon which my job relies. Maybe that's why I was pretty
snappish at Evening Reports tonight. 

Hopefully the weather holds for some Sunrise Yoga on the flight deck
tomorrow morning...maybe that will help. 

LCDR Charlotte Mundy
Executive Officer
USCGC DILIGENCE (WMEC 616)
**UNDERWAY**