Perception v. Truth

I suspect no one usually goes out of their way to investigate the truth in the lives and responsibilities of a civil servant.  Often, at least in the U.S. and U.K., caricatures of faceless minions, incompetent drones, or unintelligent, hapless, ineffectual workers who could only be heroically depicted by Arthur Miller are the stereotypes.  Working for government is portrayed as a ‘job’ instead of a calling.  Government is depicted as a machine, with no human or emotional components to it.  When progressive, humane or transformative change happens, it is driven by an outsider who demands it, with the authority to command the change.

This is completely untrue.

I know this to be untrue because I have served my government for many years.  I have experienced employment with the government in many role; I have been a contractor, a co-op student, a civilian and a military reservist. I say ‘served’ because that is what it is—service to the people of America, and the government they validate.  The idea of service is not an unusual one in the part of the U.S. where I was raised. However, there is a distinct difference between work done in service and work that is only employment.  Both can be enormously satisfying, uplifting, and enriching.  Work done in service, however, is work done with the intent to aid another, whether by providing or preserving what is in their best interest.  Civil Service is the special service whereby those appointed are entrusted with securing the interest of the collective.  In the U.S. the collective are her taxpayers, her citizens, her charges, her guests and her treasure.  For me, except for taking religious vows, I can think of no higher calling than to serve my country.  This was the motivation for the first chapter of my service.

Second Chapter: Finding the Power in What I Do

I remain pleasantly surprised that each role I fill has been both empowering and enriching.  Even as a student co-op the work I did made a difference.  Sometimes, however, it could be easy to forget that you make a difference.  As a not quite middle-aged, middle-management engineer anxious to plow forward in her career, one day I lamented the futility of the daily grind which seemed to be bogged down in reading regulations and following through with minutia which was so basic, I believed, that “even a secretary could do it.”  What difference, then, was I making if my skills were so easily substituted?  Was there somewhere else where my talents would be better used?

This was answered by my supervisor one day in his response to my pleas for more challenge in the workplace.  He looked up at me, a very plain, serious look on his face and said, “If this job didn’t need to be done, it wouldn’t exist.”   His message was clear: in both lean and prosperous times, no job is too small.  Even people in more powerful positions need to know how things work.  This very simple premise was proven true repeatedly during the second part of my service.  I watched intently how more senior civilians managed very complex strategic positions.  Each decision informed with experience and knowledge—achieving this level of expertise has been the motivation for the second chapter of my service.

Third Chapter: The Challenges of a New Era

Now I am entering a new phase brought about by the recent election.  I have resisted comment on many new things since November.  This is, in part, because I am a civil servant for the U.S. government.  I have always been keenly aware that it is difficult for people to divorce their perception of a person from their position, and do not want to speak on behalf of any policy makers.  So, here, I make no comment on the incoming administration.   We knew from the outset of this election cycle that those who govern will be different, but our government institutions will remain intact.  This is how our government is structured, and it is a strength to have a peaceful transition.  The institutions will remain the servants to the will of the American people.  They will deliberate with a conscious aim to ensure the best interest of the American people and her treasure.  They will engage the world, and sometimes lead the world.  Behind the scenes, ensuring the integrity of our system, are civil servants who have, like me, dedicated themselves to this service.

So, when asked about what I think will change in the near future, I reply that the world will continue, America will be much as it was, and because of the strength of the processes we have within our institutions, change may not be as drastic as it now seems.  I say this to reassure myself, as well as those who ask.  In reality, the details of future events are unclear and we may discover old assumptions are no longer applicable.  Does this mean that our country will devolve into a state of chaos?  That outcome is unlikely.  What it does mean for people like me is that we must remain vigilant to our duties and loyal to our oaths.  We must remain true to the work we do on behalf of our country, remembering that elections are the success of our system, not the end of it.

So, I remind myself of a quote I read as a young student:

Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.                -Theodore Roosevelt