Szlachetna Paczka - leadership experience

I have pledged to give follow-ups on how I am doing in my new role, being a manager to more than 20 people for the first time in my life.

In mid-July I took part in a two-day workshop where I could hone my skills (such assertion implies I have already had some). Soon later I met with fellow volunteers who had decided to carry on with Szlachetna Paczka to discuss the ideas on how our area should function and how they would support me.

For a long time I had not been fond of managing people, especially I feared dealing with intractable persons. The company of friends who I can count on persuaded me to overcome my premonitions. After all, if I am to move ahead professionally, I might not end up as an expert only, but with time I would need to begin to lead other employees. But since managing a team is a school of hard knocks, it seemed an excellent idea to acquire some competencies outside the ruthless world of a corporation.

As a leader I strive to be a partner for my volunteers, rather than a boss. For the sake of my hygiene and to avert excessive workload, I delegate as many tasks as possible and I trust my team members (i.e. hold my horses in terms of controlling them).

With respect to the time spent handling the Paczka, it turns out to be more time-consuming then I expected. My role involves a lot of conceptual work, being available to volunteers who want to consult me and hundreds of clicks in IT systems, essential to keep the venture going.

Right now, after the first area meeting held this Wednesday and ahead of first meetings with families enrolled, I am glad I have taken up this challenge and happy to be in charge of such wonderful team, though some more attentive members I might require a lot of patience.

I will keep you posted on the developments on the Paczka front in late October.

Nad życie – czego uczą nas umierający - book review

I cannot recall how I have come across a mention of the book, but once I learnt of its existence, I immediately signed up for it with my infallible provider of readings – the district library of Ursynów.

The paperback, which is a structured jumble of interviews, came up to me as a loose follow-up to Tomasz Stawiszyński’s work (a new book of the philosopher to premiere in October), in which the author repeatedly underlined death had been unduly erased from the contemporary culture.

The set of interviews is literally titled “More than life – what the dying can teach us”. The first part of the title brings out several thoughts. Nothing is precious more than life. Nothing can be cherished more than life. Then a penny drops – will I read about people holding on to life tightly? Will a dying human always hold on to life? Would they take every effort to extend their stay in this universe, or would they prefer to depart before the suffering gets unbearable? Do not expect the book to provide you with any answer. The death in a moral, ethical, philosophical and psychological perspective is an abstruse and complex issue.

The decease and all its aspects – medical, legal, religious are brought closer to a reader in a series of conversations with people who, by dint of their professions, deal with dying people on a daily basis. The common denominators of all interlocutors is their reserve towards the very phenomenon of departure (inevitable, if they want to keep their sanity) that they do not pass judgements nor can indicate any universal rules.

The book explores in an approachable manner the topic of euthanasia, futile therapies, pain alleviation, terminal care and other issues whose ethical and medical dimensions are controversial. More sensitive readers might find it difficult to go through chapters on suicides (but oddly enough committed on the spur of the moment, not in an episode of depression) or departing terminally ill children, but I do believe for the sake of knowing the world we live in, they, along with the entire book, are a recommendable read.

Sardinia

Back from a week-long overseas holidays, quite different than previous trips abroad. For the first time since many years I ventured somewhere for a few days with a group of friends (there were 7 of us). In such crowd some conflicts were inevitable, yet most of the time we get on with one another well. Because the timing had to fit everyone, the journey coincided with the end of high season, which impacted the price and the weather. For many temperatures between +30C and +35C during afternoons and dawn-time low of +20C are ideal, for me it was far too hot. For the first time in my life I rented a car to drive around the island (we covered more than 650 kilometres during three days). This was also my most expensive holidaying (on account of end-of-August timing) – the week set me back around PLN 4,000, despite buying reasonably cheap plane tickets.

Alghero, on the western coast of the island was the first city we visited. It has been dubbed “a small Barcelona”, but in my opinion it does not deserve such reputation. To the right, a typical Italian narrow street on the city’s old town. Note the absence of people in early afternoon heat.

On the same day we dropped in on Sassari, which is more picturesque. Here, one of many climatic backyards, with eateries, during evenings lit by lamps hanging overhead. Such places best give off the charm of Italy.

The next day was spent on a cruise boat which sailed us around La Maddalena islands. The very excursion was a kind of pricey, but the sights of rocks and celadon water were worth it.

The entire north-eastern coast of Sardinia is called Costa Smeralda, after the colour of water in shore-side bays. To the right – one of most eye-pleasing lidos I spotted there.

On our way home from the boat excursion, we took a stopover at Golfo Aranci, which is a typical holiday resort, with promenades and beaches. Had it not been for poor access to the airport, this could have been a good place to stay (we rented a house in Pittulongu via Airbnb).

The riviera to the right is located close to Cala Gonone, on the mid-east of the island. The steep, narrow and winding road to the town and back was a challenge to me as a driver to our Fiat Pandas, yet we have made it and I feel a kind of pride. Given how Italian drivers behave on the roads and how unfriendly some junctions are, I feel a more seasoned driver after travelling behind the wheel in Sardinia.

San Teodoro is also a holiday resort which, except for typically Italian architecture, much resembles towns on the Polish seaside. Note how few people roam around. On the day the photo was taken temperature topped +35C, well above my thermal comfort.

Having dropped off the rented cars near the airport in Olbia, we had to return to Pittulongu by bus. Sadly, the public transport in Sardinia is not beyond reproach (except for its cheapness). As we had to wait for over an hour for the bus, we took shelter from the heat on a typical Sardinian cemetery.

And a bonus shot, as our plane was approaching the airport from the west (which meant I could not snap my house from the air) – this is section B of the S7 expressway, somewhere north of Tarczyn. My faith is to weak to put it in promises that the road would be passable by the end of 2022. But for the record, my father drove me through the recently opened section between Warszawa Południe and Lesznowola junctions. Once going my bicycle to my parents will not be an alternative, I shall probably take S2 and S7 to get to Nowa Wola and then to Nowa Iwiczna, bypassing several traffic lights and currently marked out bus lane on ul. Puławska.

Pandemic diary - August 2022

Tuesday, 2 August 2022
The 7-day average number of new infections rises above 3,000 for the first time since 4 April 2022. In 2021 the figure was crossed on 20 October, in 2020 on 10 October. Positivity rate reaches 40%, as badly as during the second wave in the autumn of 2020.

Wednesday, 3 August 2022
My parents receive the second booster shot. As it turns out, prematurely, since my mother’s immune system was still activated in response to an apparent encounter to the virus in the sanatory.

Saturday, 20 August 2022
The cumulative number of cases worldwide reaches 600,000,000. With testing being less widespread everywhere.

Tuesday, 23 August 2022
The sixth COVID-19 wave in Poland, being the first a summer one, tops out at 4,249 cases (7-day average), being the official number. Experts judge the actual number of infections could have reached between 50,000 and 100,000 a day.

Saturday, 27 August 2022
R(t), the reproduction coefficient, declines sustainably below 1.0x in Poland. If the pandemic hits again, it will be probably a minor quandary in comparison to shortages in energy resources.