Today's post brought to you by: the End of Finals, with support and additional funding by the End of the Semester and Christmas Break!
Not only is Tim done with school for almost a month, we are pretty sure he passed his Calculus class. And not only did he pass this Calculus class, he is done with taking Calculus...forever. And not only is he done with the semester and with Calculus, he started a new job today!
Tim is now a contract employee for Novell with more hours, better pay, and a much more secure work environment. He was nervous about starting a new job, but I know he's going to be amazing. And the best part is that he gets to work with my best friend Natalie's husband Dave! Is that too perfect or what? We consider it our own little Christmas miracle, except that compounded with the passing of the math class, it's not such a little miracle.
I'm so proud of Tim for working so hard (and usually very late into the night) to get a passing grade in Calculus all on his own. I knew he could do it and it feels so good to be done. And I'm so grateful that he's worked hard to be as skilled and knowledgeable as he is so that when these job opportunities come up, he's ready to take them.
Happy start of Christmas break! Let the celebrating really begin!
Showing posts with label jobs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jobs. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Friday, September 9, 2011
Happy Northridge Anniversary
One year ago this week, I started working for Northridge Publishing. I realize that remembering the exact date I started working is a little odd, and celebrating a work anniversary is perhaps a bit much (I'm really into milestones, okay?) but it was nothing short of a miracle that I got this job. Literally. I blogged about it last year when everything fell into place, but I wasn't really able to articulate the full experience. Now that I have a little perspective, I'm even more grateful for everything that happened.
Right before Tim and I got married, I moved back to Utah from Pittsburgh and got a job as an assistant at a real estate office pretty quickly. While I was just grateful to have a job, it was a fairly terrible experience. It took a year of being miserable for me to really consider looking for a new job. But jobs were (and are) so scarce that I just couldn't find a way to justify quitting a job that was our main source of income until I had another one lined up. Tim and I went to the temple around this time and, without giving too many details, I came away very clearly knowing that I needed to find a different employment situation.
I ended up working at the real estate office for six more weeks before being officially done, and in that time, I sent out a lot of resumes. I had a couple of interviews but nothing that took. When my job ended, I still didn't have anything lined up. I was not very calm, at that point. Some days I was okay, and other days I was a basket case wondering what in the world we were going to do come September when our money ran out. The other part of this (rather long, sorry) story is that Tim quit his part time job at the same time (it was an incredibly terrible work environment that was damaging to his emotional, mental, and spiritual well being, to put it simply), so we were really running out of time and money. Tim was always confident that we'd be okay, but wavered in my faith that we would be provided for.
Then, wanting to make sure I covered all my bases, I emailed again about one of the jobs I found on Craigslist that had sounded great -- writing and editing for a scrapbooking magazine -- but hadn't heard back from. This time, I got an enthusiastic response and the instructions for the writing exercises that were the next part of the process. I went through the exercises carefully and actually called my dad to get a little help ("So what's a die cut again? And what do you think a Scor-Pal is?") and a few weeks later, I had an interview with Pam, the editor-in-chief of the magazines. It was a great interview and by the end of it, I felt really, really good about the job.
Pam called to offer me the job a short time later, but I didn't accept it then. I was waiting to hear back about another job that offered a larger salary and benefits, and I didn't want to risk taking the sure job and missing out on what I thought was the better opportunity. I debated and worried and prayed very fervently, let me tell you.
The day that I needed to give Pam an answer, Tim had an interview for an IT intern position. He came home feeling great about the job -- it was perfect for what he was looking for -- and sure enough, thirty minutes after the interview had ended, they called to offer him the position, starting immediately. The more we talked about our situation, the more I realized that as great as the salary and benefits would be, I didn't really want that other job and there was no guarantee I'd get it. I felt much more comfortable and excited about working for Northridge, it was everything I needed/wanted/was looking for, and the more I thought about it, more the I felt right about it. I called Pam that night and gave her the good news, and everything she said during that conversation confirmed to me that yes indeed, this was where I was supposed to be.
Here's the part of this that always gets me: that very eventful day was the last day of August. As of September 1st, Tim and I were both employed. The income we had carefully planned and budgeted for the summer lasted us through August, but how we were going to eat or pay rent in September, we didn't know. And then just like that, we were completely taken care of.
It was one of those rare moments when I could see so clearly the hand of the Lord in our lives. We had been blessed with so much more than we had expected, and a year later, the blessings still keep coming. I know that if I'd gotten that other job, it would have been another stressful, unhappy experience that I would eventually look forward to quitting. As it is, I love my job and I look forward to coming to work. I love the flexibility I have, I love the people I work with, and I love the new crafting talents I am developing. Most of all, I love being good at what I do, and even though it's not a position I ever expected to be in (Me? Scrapbooking?), I'm so grateful to be here. And I'm even grateful to know all about die cuts, too.
So happy anniversary, Northridge! I am looking forward to a lot more of these!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
What I'm grateful for (in no particular order)
1. Family. A thousand times over, I'm grateful for my family. Grateful that I get to spend time with them, that we have so much fun together, that they are such good people.
2. A new camera! My blog will be cool again!
3. My loving, supportive husband who keeps me from freaking out on a regular basis. I'd go to pieces without him. I'm so lucky to have someone who cares about me enough to tell me when to take things off my to-do list.
4. My job. I absolutely love my writing/editing job at Northridge Publishing and when I think back to where I was working six months ago and how much I didn't like it, I am so incredibly grateful to be where I am now.
5. Tim's job and how much self-esteem it gives him to be needed/wanted/valued in his work.
6. Our memory foam mattress. Not to brag or anything, but we have the best bed in the world. If you ask real nice, I'll let you sit on it. :)
7. Snow. Okay, this is a stretch today, but I am grateful that there will be some water for next summer. And for how pretty it is when it snows.
8. New tires on Tim's car. I didn't get stuck when I drove his car today and that is simply miraculous.
9. Tim's math tutor Alli. She's amazing and Tim's grade improved like, 400% from the last time he took Calculus. So so grateful.
10. Christmas! My favorite Christmas moment came after the presents had been opened at my parents' house but before we left for my grandparents' house to see my extended family. I was sitting in the living room, cleaning up and packing up our gifts, when I looked around at the jumbled mess and I was completely overwhelmed by how blessed I am to have so many people to love and who love me back. It wasn't the gifts that made me start to cry, but what they represented. I know there are so many families who do not get along, who have been torn apart by the choices of some family members, who don't have everyone with them at Christmas, and I am so grateful that at least once a year, my family gathers to celebrate not only our Savior, but our love for each other.
2. A new camera! My blog will be cool again!
3. My loving, supportive husband who keeps me from freaking out on a regular basis. I'd go to pieces without him. I'm so lucky to have someone who cares about me enough to tell me when to take things off my to-do list.
4. My job. I absolutely love my writing/editing job at Northridge Publishing and when I think back to where I was working six months ago and how much I didn't like it, I am so incredibly grateful to be where I am now.
5. Tim's job and how much self-esteem it gives him to be needed/wanted/valued in his work.
6. Our memory foam mattress. Not to brag or anything, but we have the best bed in the world. If you ask real nice, I'll let you sit on it. :)
7. Snow. Okay, this is a stretch today, but I am grateful that there will be some water for next summer. And for how pretty it is when it snows.
8. New tires on Tim's car. I didn't get stuck when I drove his car today and that is simply miraculous.
9. Tim's math tutor Alli. She's amazing and Tim's grade improved like, 400% from the last time he took Calculus. So so grateful.
10. Christmas! My favorite Christmas moment came after the presents had been opened at my parents' house but before we left for my grandparents' house to see my extended family. I was sitting in the living room, cleaning up and packing up our gifts, when I looked around at the jumbled mess and I was completely overwhelmed by how blessed I am to have so many people to love and who love me back. It wasn't the gifts that made me start to cry, but what they represented. I know there are so many families who do not get along, who have been torn apart by the choices of some family members, who don't have everyone with them at Christmas, and I am so grateful that at least once a year, my family gathers to celebrate not only our Savior, but our love for each other.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
My Problem
There is one small problem with this new job that I love, and it is, to put it simply, that it makes me feel monumentally inadequate. All day long, I hold and handle the creative works of other women. I study how they were made and I look for unusual or especially creative elements. And I often come away feeling like an uninspired lump of nothing. I mean, I am technically a Master of Fine Arts--"creative" is practically in my title. And yet, I am not making anything of my own. It makes me feel very insecure about who and what I profess to be.
The truth is (personal confession--indulge me), I spend a lot of my time feeling insecure. I don't like this about myself, but I worry about other people's opinions of me, even people I know love me. I wonder and worry quite a lot if I'm doing things "right." Any discontent I feel about anything--my clothes, my house, my weight, my blog--almost always comes out of the suspicion that someone else does it better. I know that in general, women are prone to the deadly sin of comparison (and therefore never think of ourselves as "enough"), but it's not just a comparison. It's that somehow my choices are inherently flawed because I didn't do things the way other people did--I didn't do it "right."
Sometimes I even worry about who I am: Am I nice enough? Am I too nice? Am I nice for the right reasons? Do I spend enough time with my family? With my friends? Am I being unreasonable? Am I being a pushover? Over and over, my inner dialogue second guesses everything about myself.
The practical part of me just read over that last part and rolled her eyes. Sheesh, just be who you are and stop worrying about it, she said. And I do listen to that voice most of the time. I've worked hard for more than half of my twenty-four years to be more confident and sure of decisions and myself. But there are days (especially lately, triggered by my job) when I lose that sense of who I am. Days when I stop asking what I like and only worry what other people will like. Days when I forget whose opinions actually matter. Days when I'm lost.
I told my sister-in-law the other week that sometimes we need to let ourselves cry. We need to admit to and experience our negative emotions so that we can truly move past them. But now, I'm not sure that's completely true. Yes, we do need to feel what we feel, but there is a point when it just becomes self-indulgent.
So.
I am going to battle my insecurities and reclaim my creative identity.
I have a list of projects I want to do (some of which I've already started), I have a book of writing prompts I'm going to work my way through, and I am going to work on that whole staying-confident-at-all-times thing. If I need to, I am going to make a list of things I like because I like them. (I'm thinking of that scene in Runaway Bride when Julia Roberts tries all the different kinds of eggs...) And I'm going to remind myself daily that the list of people whose opinions I should listen to is much shorter than I think it is.
I realize this was a very self-indulgent post, and I hope you'll forgive me. I also hope you know what I'm talking about--the pull of insecurity and self-doubt and push of confidence and action. If not...well, lucky you. :)
Maybe someday I will learn to speak up for my opinions a little more. Or maybe I will learn not to care what other people think. Or maybe I will finally figure out how to hang on to my identity, regardless of whose beautiful projects I am writing about.
The truth is (personal confession--indulge me), I spend a lot of my time feeling insecure. I don't like this about myself, but I worry about other people's opinions of me, even people I know love me. I wonder and worry quite a lot if I'm doing things "right." Any discontent I feel about anything--my clothes, my house, my weight, my blog--almost always comes out of the suspicion that someone else does it better. I know that in general, women are prone to the deadly sin of comparison (and therefore never think of ourselves as "enough"), but it's not just a comparison. It's that somehow my choices are inherently flawed because I didn't do things the way other people did--I didn't do it "right."
Sometimes I even worry about who I am: Am I nice enough? Am I too nice? Am I nice for the right reasons? Do I spend enough time with my family? With my friends? Am I being unreasonable? Am I being a pushover? Over and over, my inner dialogue second guesses everything about myself.
The practical part of me just read over that last part and rolled her eyes. Sheesh, just be who you are and stop worrying about it, she said. And I do listen to that voice most of the time. I've worked hard for more than half of my twenty-four years to be more confident and sure of decisions and myself. But there are days (especially lately, triggered by my job) when I lose that sense of who I am. Days when I stop asking what I like and only worry what other people will like. Days when I forget whose opinions actually matter. Days when I'm lost.
I told my sister-in-law the other week that sometimes we need to let ourselves cry. We need to admit to and experience our negative emotions so that we can truly move past them. But now, I'm not sure that's completely true. Yes, we do need to feel what we feel, but there is a point when it just becomes self-indulgent.
So.
I am going to battle my insecurities and reclaim my creative identity.
I have a list of projects I want to do (some of which I've already started), I have a book of writing prompts I'm going to work my way through, and I am going to work on that whole staying-confident-at-all-times thing. If I need to, I am going to make a list of things I like because I like them. (I'm thinking of that scene in Runaway Bride when Julia Roberts tries all the different kinds of eggs...) And I'm going to remind myself daily that the list of people whose opinions I should listen to is much shorter than I think it is.
I realize this was a very self-indulgent post, and I hope you'll forgive me. I also hope you know what I'm talking about--the pull of insecurity and self-doubt and push of confidence and action. If not...well, lucky you. :)
Maybe someday I will learn to speak up for my opinions a little more. Or maybe I will learn not to care what other people think. Or maybe I will finally figure out how to hang on to my identity, regardless of whose beautiful projects I am writing about.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Miracles
Sometimes, things just don't go your way. Sometimes decisions are hard, life is stressful, and everything seems broken. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try or how often you pray, you just can't get things to work out.
But then sometimes, everything falls into place. Just. Like. That.
The last week and a half have been insane--I had three job interviews, Tim had one, and between the two of us, we walked away with three new jobs.
That's right: Tim and I are both employed!
I don't know if I can fully explain how it all happened, but life and job hunting literally just fell into place yesterday. I'm going to be writing and editing for a magazine, and Tim is working as an IT guy at a financial firm. We found jobs in our fields, jobs that pay enough for us to live, and that start right away. Plus I also still have my two part-time teaching jobs. And we really did nothing to get these jobs and opportunities. It was one of those incredible times when Heavenly Father just handed us some blessings and as we stood, open-mouthed with our arms full, He just smiled and said, "You're welcome."
I don't know if anyone but Tim will ever really know how stressful the last few months have been. We tried very hard to hide it from everyone else, but truthfully, the lack of employment has been a very, very heavy weight we've been carrying. I know we were lucky--we only had that burden for three months. But to have it completely lifted in less than two weeks, to see how perfectly things worked out, to feel free of such a large burden...well, I'm not sure that I could ever describe that either.
We have jobs. I thought that when that happened, I'd want to write a blog post full of exclamation points and excitement and giddy joy, but now that it's happened and not through my own power or resources, I am only full of quiet, fervent gratitude. If it weren't for the mice, life would be perfect.
But then sometimes, everything falls into place. Just. Like. That.
The last week and a half have been insane--I had three job interviews, Tim had one, and between the two of us, we walked away with three new jobs.
That's right: Tim and I are both employed!
I don't know if I can fully explain how it all happened, but life and job hunting literally just fell into place yesterday. I'm going to be writing and editing for a magazine, and Tim is working as an IT guy at a financial firm. We found jobs in our fields, jobs that pay enough for us to live, and that start right away. Plus I also still have my two part-time teaching jobs. And we really did nothing to get these jobs and opportunities. It was one of those incredible times when Heavenly Father just handed us some blessings and as we stood, open-mouthed with our arms full, He just smiled and said, "You're welcome."
I don't know if anyone but Tim will ever really know how stressful the last few months have been. We tried very hard to hide it from everyone else, but truthfully, the lack of employment has been a very, very heavy weight we've been carrying. I know we were lucky--we only had that burden for three months. But to have it completely lifted in less than two weeks, to see how perfectly things worked out, to feel free of such a large burden...well, I'm not sure that I could ever describe that either.
We have jobs. I thought that when that happened, I'd want to write a blog post full of exclamation points and excitement and giddy joy, but now that it's happened and not through my own power or resources, I am only full of quiet, fervent gratitude. If it weren't for the mice, life would be perfect.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
From the bottom of the pool...
Who knew that 2nd graders could be so terrifying? Or so energetic? Or so loud?
Actually, I think I knew that last one...
In a bizarre and unexpected turn of events, I am now the Music Specialist at Westmore Elementary. That's right, I teach music to the 1st and 2nd graders for an hour every day. How did such a strange thing happen, you ask? Let me 'splain...
My wonderful sister-in-law Bekah teaches 4th grade at Westmore. Earlier this summer, she thought there might be some openings for teachers' aides for the new school year and I thought that sounded great, especially if I reached the end of the summer still job-less.
Bekah called me Monday to let me know there were indeed some aide openings and gave me the needed information. "Oh, and if you're interested, they also need a music teacher." The pay was good, the hours short, and I thought, why not? It's a job, after all. I'll just go in and interview and see what happens.
I went in to interview and ten minutes later, I had the job, more or less. There were some technicalities to work out, but if I wanted it, the job was mine. Did I want it? I said I did. I planned my first lesson, took notes from Bekah on how to run a class, and went early this morning to set up, prep, and wait.
And then the children came in...and every carefully prepared speech left my head, every structured and organized minute flew away, and in the hands of twenty-nine restless, talkative, easily distracted seven-year-olds and one particularly disruptive child, my first hour of teaching was not what I would term a success.
Granted, no one got hurt, no one threw up, no one cried (except possibly me much later), and I did get them to sing in more or less unison at one point, so perhaps I could give myself some credit. For my very first ever day teaching with a class that is known to be hard to handle, perhaps it wasn't so very bad.
Well...yeah, it was still that bad.
I have a new plan for tomorrow's class and I know that this teaching thing will get better and easier over time. But I can't help stopping and wondering, how the heck did I get here? From hired to teaching in two days, I jumped in with both feet and hit the bottom of the pool running. I am determined not to drown...and who knows? I may even learn to swim.
Actually, I think I knew that last one...
In a bizarre and unexpected turn of events, I am now the Music Specialist at Westmore Elementary. That's right, I teach music to the 1st and 2nd graders for an hour every day. How did such a strange thing happen, you ask? Let me 'splain...
My wonderful sister-in-law Bekah teaches 4th grade at Westmore. Earlier this summer, she thought there might be some openings for teachers' aides for the new school year and I thought that sounded great, especially if I reached the end of the summer still job-less.
Bekah called me Monday to let me know there were indeed some aide openings and gave me the needed information. "Oh, and if you're interested, they also need a music teacher." The pay was good, the hours short, and I thought, why not? It's a job, after all. I'll just go in and interview and see what happens.
I went in to interview and ten minutes later, I had the job, more or less. There were some technicalities to work out, but if I wanted it, the job was mine. Did I want it? I said I did. I planned my first lesson, took notes from Bekah on how to run a class, and went early this morning to set up, prep, and wait.
And then the children came in...and every carefully prepared speech left my head, every structured and organized minute flew away, and in the hands of twenty-nine restless, talkative, easily distracted seven-year-olds and one particularly disruptive child, my first hour of teaching was not what I would term a success.
Granted, no one got hurt, no one threw up, no one cried (except possibly me much later), and I did get them to sing in more or less unison at one point, so perhaps I could give myself some credit. For my very first ever day teaching with a class that is known to be hard to handle, perhaps it wasn't so very bad.
Well...yeah, it was still that bad.
I have a new plan for tomorrow's class and I know that this teaching thing will get better and easier over time. But I can't help stopping and wondering, how the heck did I get here? From hired to teaching in two days, I jumped in with both feet and hit the bottom of the pool running. I am determined not to drown...and who knows? I may even learn to swim.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Small Victories
The job search continues, my house still needs to be cleaned, summer is going too fast, and July is nearly over. And yet today, I am content.
Starting next week, I'll be teaching an ACT prep class once a week with Sylvan Learning. It's not going to pay any bills, but it does pay it is a teaching job! I think it's going to be a great experience, and I'm pretty dang excited. I have a huge binder to create my lessons from and I'm a little nervous, but mostly, I count this as a victory.
Another small victory came in the mail yesterday: a check in my name from Sunstone Magazine, where I have an essay being published sometime next year. (I would post it for y'all to read, but I have a feeling that might be some kind of copyright infringement...I'll find out.) Aside from being glad for the extra money, I was giddy when I realized that I have officially been paid...to write. Let me say that again:
I got paid for my writing.
!!!!!!
I still don't count myself a professional by any means, but I do feel a little more secure about calling myself a writer. I'm not just someone who writes. I'm someone who gets paid to let other people read my writing. It's such a small victory, but you know what? I'll take it.
This one's for me. Cheers!
Starting next week, I'll be teaching an ACT prep class once a week with Sylvan Learning. It's not going to pay any bills, but it does pay it is a teaching job! I think it's going to be a great experience, and I'm pretty dang excited. I have a huge binder to create my lessons from and I'm a little nervous, but mostly, I count this as a victory.
Another small victory came in the mail yesterday: a check in my name from Sunstone Magazine, where I have an essay being published sometime next year. (I would post it for y'all to read, but I have a feeling that might be some kind of copyright infringement...I'll find out.) Aside from being glad for the extra money, I was giddy when I realized that I have officially been paid...to write. Let me say that again:
I got paid for my writing.
!!!!!!
I still don't count myself a professional by any means, but I do feel a little more secure about calling myself a writer. I'm not just someone who writes. I'm someone who gets paid to let other people read my writing. It's such a small victory, but you know what? I'll take it.
This one's for me. Cheers!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Life Update (because it seems like a good time for one)
Another crazy weekend here in Summer-ville. Yesterday I hosted a baby shower for one of my best friends from high school, Shelly; went to a baby shower for one of my college roommates, Brittney; and went to/hosted an engagement party for my recently engaged and 5-weeks-away-from-getting-married friend from high school, Kellianne. For some reason, I have not had any photo-taking instincts lately, so I didn't take any pictures at all yesterday. So sad. But I had a great time seeing so many friends and their cute kids and getting a chance to catch up with everyone.
Tim was a champ through it all. He helped me make desserts, he cleaned the living room, he helped make chicken salad sandwiches, and then he inconspicuously disappeared while the baby showering was going on. Bless him. I am so lucky to have someone who is so willing to help and be patient with all the crazy things his wife schedules.
Friday was my last day of work at the real estate office (woohoo!) and so now the job of finding a job will commence in earnest, now that I will finally have time to devote to the search. Tim has some really good leads for jobs on campus, and I've got some part-time work to tide us over, so we're hopeful that things will be fine until we find some jobs (hopefully soon). Some days the pressure to find a job and find a way to provide for ourselves is enormous. It's the size of two elephants, that's how big the pressure is. But Tim keeps reminding me that we're going to be fine, to trust, to have faith, etc. Again, Tim is amazing for putting up with me and my moods.
I've never really had to look for a job before, except last year when I came back from Pittsburgh. But even then, I got the first job I interviewed for, so this experience with looking and looking and applying and not getting the jobs I want has been something of a new experience for me. I've discovered what I'm sure many people have discovered before me: that part of what makes job hunting hard is that you are putting the very best of yourself out there--on paper, in letters, in interviews--and yet, no one wants to hire you. It's so hard to keep your confidence up and continue to promote yourself as The Best For The Job. It's also difficult just to play the game. You try to tailor yourself to specific jobs, and then you just feel like you're lying. You try to be honest about your weaknesses and feel like you've disqualified yourself. It almost feels like gambling--just making your best guesses and judgments and hoping that you win eventually.
Ah, well. It's a good challenge, this job thing. It's frustrating and rewarding and time-consuming, just as most worthwhile things in life are. Like planning parties or getting married or having kids. Or, in other aspects of my life right now, like learning to sew or organizing your house or setting up a budget. Frustrating and part of life. Good things, all.
Tim was a champ through it all. He helped me make desserts, he cleaned the living room, he helped make chicken salad sandwiches, and then he inconspicuously disappeared while the baby showering was going on. Bless him. I am so lucky to have someone who is so willing to help and be patient with all the crazy things his wife schedules.
Friday was my last day of work at the real estate office (woohoo!) and so now the job of finding a job will commence in earnest, now that I will finally have time to devote to the search. Tim has some really good leads for jobs on campus, and I've got some part-time work to tide us over, so we're hopeful that things will be fine until we find some jobs (hopefully soon). Some days the pressure to find a job and find a way to provide for ourselves is enormous. It's the size of two elephants, that's how big the pressure is. But Tim keeps reminding me that we're going to be fine, to trust, to have faith, etc. Again, Tim is amazing for putting up with me and my moods.
I've never really had to look for a job before, except last year when I came back from Pittsburgh. But even then, I got the first job I interviewed for, so this experience with looking and looking and applying and not getting the jobs I want has been something of a new experience for me. I've discovered what I'm sure many people have discovered before me: that part of what makes job hunting hard is that you are putting the very best of yourself out there--on paper, in letters, in interviews--and yet, no one wants to hire you. It's so hard to keep your confidence up and continue to promote yourself as The Best For The Job. It's also difficult just to play the game. You try to tailor yourself to specific jobs, and then you just feel like you're lying. You try to be honest about your weaknesses and feel like you've disqualified yourself. It almost feels like gambling--just making your best guesses and judgments and hoping that you win eventually.
Ah, well. It's a good challenge, this job thing. It's frustrating and rewarding and time-consuming, just as most worthwhile things in life are. Like planning parties or getting married or having kids. Or, in other aspects of my life right now, like learning to sew or organizing your house or setting up a budget. Frustrating and part of life. Good things, all.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Letters I've been meaning to send
Dear Job That I Currently Have and Dislike,
We are so over. I will not miss you when we're completely through. Yes, we had our good times, but there were some bad times too. Lots of them. Most of them, in fact. You were demanding, confusing, difficult, contradictory, and had expectations that were entirely too high. If you wanted to expect that much of me, you should have given more back. The effort in this relationship was all on one side.
I know you'll go on without me, and I'm glad. I'm moving on too.
Disregards,
Kate
Dear Elusive New Job That's Perfect For Me,
Where are you? I'm looking for you everywhere. I know you're out there, waiting for me too. I think I love you already. This isn't just a rebound--I'm in it to stay. I'll be true to you as long as you treat me how I deserve. And I promise I'll do my best to leave the emotional baggage from my last job at home.
I want you to know that I'm not picky. I don't care where you are or what you look like--I just want to find you. I can wait if you need some time, but don't forget that I'm here.
Your trying-to-be-patient,
Kate
Dear Temporary Part-Time Jobs,
I adore you. All of you. Thank you for being there for me and getting me through this rough patch. You are amazing, and you have the best sense of timing. I owe you, I really do.
All my gratitude,
Kate
We are so over. I will not miss you when we're completely through. Yes, we had our good times, but there were some bad times too. Lots of them. Most of them, in fact. You were demanding, confusing, difficult, contradictory, and had expectations that were entirely too high. If you wanted to expect that much of me, you should have given more back. The effort in this relationship was all on one side.
I know you'll go on without me, and I'm glad. I'm moving on too.
Disregards,
Kate
Dear Elusive New Job That's Perfect For Me,
Where are you? I'm looking for you everywhere. I know you're out there, waiting for me too. I think I love you already. This isn't just a rebound--I'm in it to stay. I'll be true to you as long as you treat me how I deserve. And I promise I'll do my best to leave the emotional baggage from my last job at home.
I want you to know that I'm not picky. I don't care where you are or what you look like--I just want to find you. I can wait if you need some time, but don't forget that I'm here.
Your trying-to-be-patient,
Kate
Dear Temporary Part-Time Jobs,
I adore you. All of you. Thank you for being there for me and getting me through this rough patch. You are amazing, and you have the best sense of timing. I owe you, I really do.
All my gratitude,
Kate
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