or living in a different dimension!
For many years I’ve suspected I might be invisible – or at least partly so. I’m not exaggerating when I say that I can name at least a hundred specific instances where I am certain that I’m not being seen, and perhaps a thousand where my words are not being heard.
I remember a specific time in graduate school, for example, where I was in a room of fifty students, along with several professors and the president of the university. It was a “town hall meeting” where we were having an open discussion about the recent change in ownership, leadership, and curriculum in the program in which I was enrolled. I remember standing up to share my specific thoughts on this dramatic transition and I literally saw my words go up into the air and land in the middle of the room while those leading the meeting looked at me with blank stares. It was as if they didn’t hear a word said and couldn’t comprehend that I had spoken. I looked to my left and right to the students around me who were nodding in agreement and support with what I had said.
They heard me, but those enmeshed in the system could not.
Another example of my apparent invisibility (not really invisibility per se, more proof that at times I’m operating in a whole different plane than those around me) happened while driving in a snowstorm with my kid to my brother’s wedding. We decided to stop for a coffee on the way and as we pulled into the turn lane, a car that had been in front of us, was suddenly beside us waving and screaming at us. They were acting as if we had hit them, or had almost hit them, but we hadn’t. The only way I can explain what happened is that we drove through a portal in time that catapulted us from behind to beside the car, causing them great confusion and upset.
What inspired this post is a third proof of my invisibility, one that happened just this morning. A few months back I had submitted a proposal to present at a local writer’s conference. This morning I received their response:
I’m sorry but your proposal did not make the cut. Individuals reasons varied but if I had to give an across-the-board a tip for next year, it would be to focus on the craft/technique of writing, as opposed to marketing/branding/social media.
My proposal had NOTHING to do with social media, marketing, or branding. Instead, it specifically addressed the craft/technique of character development using a specific and unique tool from the field of transpersonal psychology. Among my words that specifically addressed the craft of writing:
…supports fiction writers in creating authentically complex characterization while assisting them in navigating the unique features within each character’s storyline…
It seems the conference committee completely missed the point of my proposal. There was not a single word related to marketing, branding or social media, and everything relating to the craft of writing.
All I can do is shake my head in befuddlement. One among a million examples of proof that I am invisible and that only those operating on a similar plane as I can hear or comprehend my words. It’s no wonder I choose to remain in my cave and apart from the world to whom I don’t exist. I do, however, find comfort in knowing I’m not alone in this. As Jesus once said, “for those who have ears to hear and eyes to see.” Those who need to see and hear me do. The rest, I guess, are not mine to serve.
If You Can See Me
You’re one of a very few, and may benefit from the programs and services I offer through Soul School:
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Learn more by exploring our website. If you have specific questions or need additional information, do not hesitate to contact me: lauri@lauriannlumby.com.
Lauri Ann Lumby 
I have had similar issues. People think I’m serious when I’m joking, and joking when I’m serious. It is often incredibly frustrating. I am glad our work is not for the masses.
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Me too Carol! Me too!
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I totally see you, and with straight hair….looks really good!
I get the invisible thing. I can’t remember any particular instances but I know that people don’t see me. And what’s worse is one of my bosses who doesn’t mind being rude when she loses interest in what I’m saying she just turns around and walks away…????
Barb
Get Outlook for Androidhttps://aka.ms/ghei36 ________________________________
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OMG! Your boss! Totally rude and dismissive. I’m so sorry you have to deal with this!
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Other thoughts on invisibility (sorry, there will be a sort of long backstory to explain):
We recently had a big meeting during which the office assistants were allowed to talk to managers about what they would like to see changed in the workplace. Three more experienced office assistants, myself included, put together about 16 items which we had grievances with. The first of which was a type of process that honestly, we felt, was above our paygrade and was taking away from our regular work. It was actually above our paygrade, or, at least the methods were. It involves interviewing clients of our department (child support) after we have opened a case from a Service Request we get from our state’s cash aid department. At some point, we could no longer call it “conducting an interview” due to the verbiage–meaning, this particular aspect was above our paygrade. It was to be called “gathering information”. However, our online instructions still referred to it as “conducting an interview,” and all our processes, all the way to how we tracked our work, still called it that, and we were not given any instructions on how to change that. Also, in recent months, the types of questions, and the number of questions increased in both difficulty and number.
So, as soon as it was brought up, I pulled out the job description for both the office assistant and child support assistant, to show how different the verbiage was in our job description, and pointed out how the processes we use for “gathering information” is really no different from “conducting interview.” I also pointed out that the questions we were originally asking were more along the lines of “gathering information,” and now we were asking more complex questions about exemptions, how they filed on their taxes, and monthly income. The manager, who was initially pushing the whole “gathering information” b.s. kept trying to talk over me and seemed to be attempting to rush past the topic of conversation, and even justify why they were putting so much more work on us (while simultaneously expecting us to keep up our numbers in our other duties). And at some point, she did have to leave, due to having to attend another meeting. She practically ran out of there. Because we were not backing down.
The other manager helped move the meeting along at a much better pace, and we were able to discuss all our grievances more freely after that. I am still planning on leaving that job eventually, due to that, and other, managers, who are simply trying to dump more work on us office assistants, and expect our stats to just get higher and higher. They don’t care that even new employees are jumping ship now. In the last week alone, 3 people retired, and another one retired the day of the meeting. Leads who had been there for the minimum years to get decent retirement (another point of contention there, as there isn’t any “decent retirement.”)
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“proof that at times I’m operating in a whole different plane than those around me”
This. A thousand times this. I feel this way more and more, especially when following my soul path. Can’t think of a specific example at the moment — I just recognize that feeling of saying something and then having people just look at you like you’re speaking a foreign language or suddenly sprouted a third head. The more I learn about energy work and energy fields, them more I think your words — operating in a whole different plane — describe the experience literally. Thank you for sharing and for doing the work you do!
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