A New Job, Manias, and Writing

For the most part, my job at Frederick County Parks & Recreation as Registration Specialist was to set at my desk all day and wait for the phone to ring. The other part of my job was to make sure that the website was up to date and people could do everything they needed on the internet without having to call me. It seemed like all of the people that had their act together were able to find whatever information they needed and register online. I talked to everyone else. I’ve had  quite a few interesting phone conversations. There is an art to talking to an angry person on the phone, perhaps it translates into real life. Stay calm, don’t raise your voice, and don’t be afraid to pause in order to the first two things. Most of the people I talked to weren’t angry though.

This is what I said whenever I answered the phone.

“Frederick County Parks & Recreation, This is Zane, how can I help you?”

This is what I’ve been called in response to that.

Hector

Eddie (4x)

Andrew (5x)

James (12x)

Zach (Thrice)

Shane (10x)

Ayne (4x)

Dane (14x)

Dame

Blaine

Andy  (Thrice)

Rain (Twice)

Damian

Ames

Lane (Twice)

Zade

Zachary

Dave

Shay

Wayne

Sam

Wade

Benny

Rob

Lance

Jamey

Dean (x2)

Ade

Cade

Alan

Zay

Zeke

Vance

Ben

Nane (X2)

D’Wayne

Jane (X4)

Zion

Zang

Jason

Danny

Zan

An honest mistake I know. Zane is not that common of a name. But I started this list out of boredom, not to hold a grudge. I also started writing out of boredom. Accidentally. In the downtimes when the website was running smoothly and the phones were silent I would work on this blog. I really enjoyed it.

My last day at Parks & Recreation was March 31st. I am now working as Church Administrator at the church where I’ve been the bi-vocational Youth Pastor for eleven years. I’m now able to tackle all of the things I daydreamed about doing when I was at Parks & Recreation.

Like J. Thaddeus Toad, I am a man given to manias. I have tracked the cycle and it usually lasts around one to three months and I’m then I’m over whatever it was that I was crazy about. In the past year I’ve gone through film photography, mid century modern furniture, wanting to build a lap steel guitar, and bicycles. I’ve learned that something is not a mania if it lasts longer that six months. Writing is not a mania.

I wrote all of this to tell you that I am in the process of writing a book. And to thank everyone for reading this blog. Please forgive me for getting out of rhythm posting the blog, I’m not quitting, I’m just focusing on the book.