Dispatch, Dating and Desperation by Halcyon Frank
Written by Halcyon Frank, November 10, 2020
What’s one thing word you should never use to describe your dating life or your dispatch center? No, this is not a joke or opportunity for some word play; it’s real question, with an answer that when used can have real consequences.
So, what’s a word that should never be used in conjunction with your dispatch center or dating life?
Desperate.
As a single woman approaching her 30’s (two months is still a long way away, right?), do I need any other qualifications to write on this topic? I kid, I’m perfectly content on the path I’m on. What I’m not perfectly content with is how this word has not only seeped into our dating lives, but into our comm centers.
Short staffing is nothing new. Would we even know what to do with ourselves if we had a fully staffed center? I don’t know about you, but I need that overtime. Shoes ain’t cheap….oh and then there’s bills, but who cares about those pesky things.
We find ourselves stuck in a revolving door of employees. A new employee starts, they train, they leave. If we’re lucky maybe one out of five will stay. We look for ways to make training better, to attract better applicants, to try and hold on to the ones we get.
What if the answer to some of our struggles starts with us? What if we could increase the chance of success, just by shifting our language. So often in centers I hear, “we need bodies in the seats” or “we’re desperate for employees”. Now, I’m not saying that you don’t need help, because so many centers do, but just by focusing on the desperation and frustration, we’re already setting ourselves up to fail.
When we label ourselves as desperate on the dating scene, who do we often attract? (I know you know.) LOSERS. We attract losers. So when we send out the message or vibe that we’re desperate as a comm center, what are we going to attract? Say it with me, LOSERS. (Yes, I know it’s not very nice to call people losers, but I’m trying to make a point here so bear with me. And by losers I just mean those who are unqualified and/or not a good fit for dispatch.)
We have to be confident in what we as a person or comm center have to offer. We are the prize. We have to be, and we have to convey that we are the place people want to work. We are the girlfriend they want to have in their lives.
I’m a true believer in speaking into existence what you want in life. Whether you want a good partner or a good employee, you have to think and talk like it. You have to speak like you are going to get the best.
So, whether it’s in our love life or the comm center, we may be exhausted, beat down, hungry, and wanting some relief, but one thing we are not, is desperate. We are the prize.
Thank you, Halcyon for sharing your valuable perspective! If you are interested in writing a blog, please email 911derWomen@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter on our homepage to stay up to date with 911der Women programming, exclusive content and blog updates. Click here and scroll to the bottom!