[Prudence]

So, I have a nasty cold, which is making me miserable, and I have to be at this training all week - and I can't call in sick or I get cut from all trainings for a year. Nice.

So, you may be asking: why is this in the happy thread?

Because today I got to be smart again. We had a big group project and I was the one who actually understood what was going on (because this is the third class in a sequence and I actually retain information) and was able to take the lead. And I got to hear: "Leanne! We're really glad you're on our team!" And it's true - we had by far the best, most detailed presentation. (Handled mostly by me.) I even got a "Nicely done" from someone on another team during our potty break.

I have spent a year being told that I can't possibly have any relevant ideas to contribute and that I have no useful skills to offer my employer -- primarily, I believe, because *they* didn't have anything relevant or useful when they were in my position, and they can't imagine - despite ample evidence on the ol' resume - that I could possibly be any better than they were.

Oh, and when I let my contact at the contractor know I was being reassigned, he replied that he feels I represent the best side of the government, with a professional demeanor and asking the most insightful questions he'd heard in a long time. On the one hand, that's really sad. On the other hand, it means I really am that good, and the reason I'm bored out of my mind and feeling like I do nothing is that I'm woefully under-utilized.