On Taking Time Off in the Middle of the Workday

A few of my friends and I do this volunteer thing every year where we write letters to pen pals in the third grade. It’s a really great literacy program, and this year, we read Ramona the Pest by Beverly Clearly, and reminisced about what it was like to be in kindergarten — which is pretty hilarious to think about because my kid, Joel, was in kindergarten just three years ago. We’re meeting face-to-face today and I’m pretty excited about it.

Last year, I had to go through this process of asking for two hours off in the middle of the workday to go hang out with my kid at the volunteer center headquarters, and it was a bigger ordeal than it had to be. I told my supervisor that I had to go to my annual volunteer event, and she was convinced that I was leaving for two hours to go to a job interview. She told me I had to figure out how to make up those two hours, and I said, of course, and not to worry about it.

Now that I’m my own boss, I can leave the office for two hours without having to ask anyone for permission, and it’s really the best thing. I’m looking forward to seeing Joel today without stressing out how I’m going to make up the lost time at work.

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