Surprise Me!- BFF 218

     Lately I have experienced a certain level of unease which I think stems from all those pre-menopausal hormones swimming about.    After almost 12 years of being a stay at home mom, I got a notion to get a job. Both of my kids are away at school each day leaving me very much to my own devices.  After being out of the workforce for so long, I was literally scared $hitless to apply anywhere.  What if no one wanted me because I haven’t stuck my nose out of the house for 12 years?  What if they hold that against me?  With a husband on the road more than he is not, I had no prospects for a sitter.  I also didn’t have the money to pay anyone to watch my kids for a few hours.  Let’s face it, isn’t that exactly what I wanted to guard against when I quit work all those years ago?  Trusting a virtual stranger to raise my kid for me while I worked hard for the money?  Still I was compelled to try.  

       I took a real hard look at myself.  At 44 years old, what exactly do I have to show for myself?  Two well behaved, polite kids who are talented and smart, check.  A fairly successful website where I write all the crazy a$$ ideas that dart around in my noggin, check.  Well $hit the bed, that about sums me up.  Let us not forget the fact that I am always broke, always wishing I had money, and recently realizing that it wouldn’t kill me to venture out my front door and give getting a job a try.  Rejection would sting, but it wouldn’t kill me, and I had been pretty content for the last 12 years.  I knew continuing on as I had been wasn’t going to be that big of a hardship.

        One day I was on the school corporation’s website and seen that they had position’s open in food services.  Translation, they need help feeding the kids, cleaning, taking out the trash, and helping the little ones open ketchup packets.  I put two and two together and thought “That isn’t rocket science, hells bells!  I could do that!”  I threw the possibility out to my husband the next time he called me and he asked me “Do you really want to do that?”  I thought about it, and I thought well why not?  What would it hurt?  I have no experience in food service, but I have been cooking and cleaning round the clock for my own little household for almost 15 years.  What did I have to lose?  I filled out an application and turned it in.

         The waiting began.  Once school started and my phone had still refused to ring, I gave up hope.  I reasoned that if they didn’t hire me, I was no worse off than before.  The same ole same ole would continue.  I would write, read, wipe my kids noses and a$$es, catch vomit on occasion, and be mentor, companion, and personal tutor as I always have been.  Still it nagged the hell out of me that they hadn’t called.  So finally I called them and expressed my interest.  I WAS interested after all.  The hours were ideal; I would be home for my kids whenever they were and when they needed me most.  I reasoned that no matter what it paid it had to be more than what I was making sitting at home writing blogs, cleaning house, and keeping on top of the never ending mountain of laundry.  The kind lady on the line assured me that no, the position was still available; yes she did have my application, and then verified my phone number.  I found myself saying almost verbatim “You don’t me, and this is crazy, but here’s my number, call me maybe!!!” 

        The school surprised me.  Not only did they call me in for an interview, they hired me on the spot as a sub, someone they could call when someone needed a day off.  As a sub, they took my “call me maybe” literally!  They also assured me that if I decided that I liked the work, I could move into a permanent position.  Being a sub I could go to any of the seven schools in the district to do basically the same thing.  I would be flexible.  I could still write to my hearts content.  I would still be there for my kids whenever they were home.  For me, it is a win-win situation.  So opens a new exciting chapter of my life where I  still am a writer, still a mommy, and bonus…I have a real job until next time I give you another glimpse into the life of a trucker’s wife.