Yin & Yang

Written by Louise Ferguson, Senior Tender Specialist

Good morning… or is it afternoon?

I confess to being one of the people struggling to keep track of day and time right now. While working from home is not a new thing for me, the dynamics have certainly changed! Kids are at home for the foreseeable future, trying to adjust to a new ‘normal’ because the old one just leapt out the window.

Not so for my husband, his work has remained constant. He is one of a unique and talented group of people who provide personal and emotional support to our older generation, essentially strangers, who are suffering, sometimes confused and may be approaching the end of their life. He is a Carer and works in an aged care facility.

Our working worlds could not be further apart and our approach to how we deal with stress could not be more different. 

I prefer to vent, while he internalises.

I try to make sense out of concepts, he deals with real life and real death.

I communicate using words on a page, he uses a personal touch.

I work from home using flexible hours, while he sticks to a roster that suits others.

For the most part, he chooses not to discuss work at home. Our morning conversations usually consist of me saying “How was your shift?” and he says “Good”.  Whereas, my response will vary in length and detail depending on the bid!

Individually, we derive satisfaction from what we do for a living and are suited to the parts we play.  Tendering chose me over 20 years ago and it seems it is here to stay! I am proud to have worked on many successful tenders which have resulted in projects that have shaped cities, provided amazing infrastructure and created thousands of jobs along the way.  Whereas, the reality of my husband’s work is not lost on me and I know it takes a very patient and special person to do what he does. 

Life is about accepting the good that is in the bad and the bad that is in the good. Now more than ever, having a mixture of yin and yang to balance out our household is so important.

Although we are seemingly opposite in some ways, it is more about how we complement and interconnect that is important.