Hi Neighbor!

I’ve worked from home during all of my 25-year career. Everyone said I was lucky but I’d explain that there are upsides and downsides. My particular brand of downside was loneliness, especially after the kids went away to college. I used to joke that I looked forward to seeing the Fedex delivery people so I’d have human contact. I have dogs but they sleep during the day. So it was a long-time wish for my husband to work from home. Until he did.

For the first week while we were both working from home, he’d unexpectedly pop into my second-floor office to say hi. I jumped every time. Absorbed in my work, I’d temporarily forgotten he was home, was thrown off course and lost my train of thought. He’d say apologetically, “It’s only me.” I felt badly. Then he initiated a new routine of loudly yelling “coming up” to announce his impending arrival. That helped. (Thank you Hubby.)

Transitioning from solo lunch to duo became another adjustment. I never scheduled lunch. I often ate at my desk at a break in the work. He anticipated a shared lunch at the kitchen table preceded by a discussion of the menu choices.  Too much mid-day interaction for me. I remembered the old adage, “For better or worse but never for lunch.” How did they know? (See you at dinner Darling.)

Usually my favorite imagined daytime inquiry (and the dogs’) “Want to take a walk?” became another concentration distraction. Naturally, I want to go for a walk! But my husband’s work-day timing and mine were not synching up. Returning to work became even more disorienting. He suggested an earlier ending workday with scheduled, anticipated walks. Issue solved. (Very creative Sweetie.)

I’m thankful my husband and I are working. We can telecommute, that’s good for sure. And I’m grateful for his patience and flexibility during this change. But having him home, in my former whole house/office space was an unexpectedly steep, sudden learning curve. Now I’ve adjusted and appreciate the company. I’m not sure I’d wish for him to go back to the office away from home. Well, let me think about that. (Just joking.)

Transitioning,
Jane