My 17-year-old granddaughter was surprised by something that her grandpa told her. He mentioned a job that I had years ago. She was dumbfounded. Grandma, did that? I didn't know. So, I decided to tell my grandkids about my life before them, job-wise, that is.
To begin with, I started at about 15 years old with a non-paying job. As I've mentioned before, I was into horses, had 2 of my own, and used to ride and show. Well, at the academy that I attended, we had a veterinarian and a horse farrier. Oh, those poor men. I followed them everywhere. I asked, of course, and, being the quiet type, they always said yes. They let me tag along. I wanted to know everything the vet was doing. From worming to vaccinations, I wanted to watch. I also wanted to become a Vet one day. That didn't happen, however, something else did.
In between something else, I had an under-the-table job. I was paid cash. My father owned his own business and let me work as a receptionist in his office on the weekends. I was $100 per weekend. I loved it. Mall money!
My next job, which was my absolute dream job, was working in a veterinarian's office. I worked in the back office, where I handled the dog stuff. All of it. I cleaned the cages and dog runs, held the dogs for their shots, and helped out in surgery. I did this for about a year, and still, Vet school was on my mind. Unfortunately, money was not in my future, so I had to find another job.
I began work in a podiatrist's office. I had experience working in the back office (x-rays, surgery, etc.), which is what I was hired for. I really liked that job; I had a great boss, and I earned my X-ray technician license. All paid for by him. Like I said, great boss. It was interesting work; again, I took X-rays, assisted in surgery, and learned a lot of medical jargon. I was sad when I had to quit my job, but a little baby girl was about to be born. I worked there until I was 8 months pregnant.
Thus began my stay-at-home mommy years. It wasn't until my last little one began kindergarten that I decided that I wanted to go back to work. It was kind of funny, actually. We were out shopping one day at the local mall, and as we were walking through a big department store, my husband said, "I could see you working here." I had never worked retail, but I sure knew my way around the mall. So, I interviewed, got the job, went through customer training, and began working part-time while my kids were in school. I did that for 7 years. I loved it. I would have worked for free. Being able to help people with picking out clothes for vacations, etc., well, it was my dream job. I was and still am a master shopper. I was made for that job.
At the end of my mall dream job, it was time for me to get serious. I had, at that point, only finished two years of college and 3 1/2 years of Bible college (can't forget that), so my education needed to be addressed. And, back to school I went. I thought I loved retail. Well, I loved college even more. I loved learning, and I absorbed it like a sponge. I loved being with the kids and felt like I was there to protect them. I ended up with 2 majors and 3 minors, and I would still be going if I weren't so old.
My jobs after that were working in counseling, working with rape survivors, and the mentally, physically, and sexually abused. It did take its toll on me. I was ready to retire. I needed to "air out my brain". I could only hear so much before I had to call it quits.
I'm glad I fulfilled my passions in each of these jobs. I felt useful and full of knowledge. I would not change anything about my job experience. I learned so much and had a great, fulfilling work life.
My next job after that was to be the best grandma ever. I spoil my grandkids, take them shopping, and feed them rubbish. I love it. And, I hope they do too.
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