Lessons from Work

WARNING: THIS IS AN EXTREMELY LONG POST (You should probably take care of your personal business first, if you know what I mean). :)

After a long day like today, I can't help but evaluate my current "job" as a mother. However, I don't like to refer to motherhood as a "job" (it completely downplays it). I prefer to call it "the best choice that I have ever made that will thankfully last me my whole entire lifetime and beyond". I'll admit, today was tough! I don't think that I have ever felt this tired since the week after I gave birth! :) Elizabeth has an ear infection, a cold, and a horrible bum rash (that the antibiotics graciously gave her). Needless to say, she was MISERABLE! And when she's miserable, I'm just about doomed. Especially when I have a cold myself and all I feel like doing is lying under the covers and zonking out. My wonderful husband is so sweet and he offered to stay home from work so that I could rest...but I just couldn't let that happen for some reason. Sometimes I'm too stubborn for my own good. I kind of remind myself of my Mom...no offense Mom. :) When my Mom is sick, she refuses to take breaks. Well, mom, I learned from the best! :)

After I put Elizabeth to bed for the night (hallelujah...a break!) I started thinking about all of the jobs that I have ever had in my life. I know, a pretty strange thing to think about. However, I came to the conclusion that every single job that I have had has, in some way, helped to prepare me for motherhood. As a mother, you work hard every second of the day. You don't get a break! I honestly remember days during college when I was so tired from working and school that I literally thought I was going insane! There were some days when I would be at work/school from 4:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. -- and then have to wake up and do it all over again the next day. I remember going to work on a daily basis, never calling in sick. Even if something traumatic happened to me in my life, I still went to work. During times like these, I learned how to manage my emotions (not run away from them, but manage them). Sometimes, as a mother, you have to pretend to be happy, even when you're not. Especially to an innocent little baby (come on, what good is it going to do to be grumpy and mean to a baby?). Mothers have to be strong and do what needs to be done. End of story.

In thinking about my jobs, I decided to compile a list. However, I came to the realization that I have had so many different jobs that I have a difficult time remembering them all! Some jobs I quit and then came back to, others I only had a for a short period of time. Some people thought that I was crazy (especially my Mom) for choosing some of the jobs that I chose, but I don't have any regrets because each of them helped form some aspect of my character. Anyway, here's the list! Perhaps a few of you can relate...

• Job #1: Discovery Research Group. Come on, who (from Logan) DIDN'T try that place out for their first job?! At least everyone in my family gave it a shot. This was my first summer job in high school.
  
  
• Job #2: Arctic Circle. Utterly disgusting. That's just about all that I can say! I refused to eat fast food for at least 5 years after working there...in fact, I still have a hard time with it. California is famous for their "Inn & Out" burgers, so I decided to be brave one day and try one out. Needless to say, I have regretted it ever since. DISGUSTING! Arctic Circle was my first summer job after high school, along with Job #3.
  
  
• Job #3: Old Gristmill (South Store). No complaints here! I would work here again in a heartbeat.
  
  
• Job #4: Old Gristmill (North Store). I worked here my freshman year in college. I didn't have a car, so I rode my bike to work (not too far, I lived on campus). Fun times! This was the best place to work, especially as a "poor, starving, college student". I got %50 off on all of their bagels and bread! PLUS, I got a discount on the food I ate while at work...what a deal! :)
  
  
• Job #5: Jacob Lake, Arizona. I worked here the summer after my freshman year. I was a cook! This was the perfect job! You can't beat 2 four-hour shifts per day, free room and board, and days off where you travel to the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion's National Park, Lake Powell, etc. And I even got payed! :)
  
  
• Job #6: Smith's Food and Drug. I worked here my second year in college (living on campus). Again, no car. I rode my bike to work (even when my shift ended at 11:00 at night). Again, fun times! :) I was a bagger. It was pretty boring, but I managed.
  
  
• Job #7: USU Housing and Food Services. I worked here the summer after my sophomore year in college. It was a blast! I worked with a bunch of really fun girls and we deep-cleaned Aggie Village Apartments day in and day out. I even got to paint walls for 3 weeks (and experienced my first unofficial "high"). :)
  
  
• Job #8: Old Gristmill (South Store). I loved it so much the first time, that I had to return! I worked here my third year in college. This time, I had a car!!! It was HEAVEN!!!
  
  
• Job #9: EK Eccessories. Never heard of it? It's located in Nibley, UT. It's a "sweat shop" (not really) that makes sports accessories. I really loved this job! Great hours...I got nights and weekends OFF for a change!!! I worked here the summer after my third year in college.
  
  
• Job #10: Convergy's. Hmmm...a little embarrassing. I went through training and then quit. I decided the job just wasn't for me after I started crying on the phone to a customer and I couldn't calm myself down (he was yelling and cussing at me, what do you expect!). :)
  
  
• Job #11: Undergraduate Teaching Fellow. This was one of my favorite jobs!!! I only had it for one semester, but that's okay! I was a T.A. for one of my professors for the Drugs and Human Behavior class. I got to do "teacher stuff" and I absolutely loved it!! :)
  
  
• Job #12: Janitor at USU. I helped clean the Space Dynamics Lab and Agricultural Education Buildings on the USU campus. Hmmm...I really liked it. However, it happened to be at 4:00 in the morning!! Meaning, my alarm went off at 3:00. Ouch. This is one of the jobs my Mom wanted me to quit. But I chose to "rebel" and I kept it anyway. :) I must admit, however, that I was really jealous of Tara (my sister) when I crawled out of bed in the morning and she was still sleeping peacefully. We both lived at home that year and we shared a room (bunk beds...I had the top). :) I had this job during my 4th year at USU. Along with Job #11 (for the first semester) and Job #13 (for the second semester). I know, I'm crazy!
  
  
• Job #13: Firehouse Pizzeria. I wasn't really a fan of this job. Probably because I was so tired that I was trying to prevent myself from falling asleep in the pasta. :) Tara worked there, as a waitress, and she got me the job. In fact, my brother Craig worked as a dishwasher and my sister, Alyssa worked as a table busser at the same time! :) Tara was the only one that stuck that job out though...for 3 years.
  
  
• Job #14: Calgary Health Region. This was AWESOME!!! I was originally volunteering my time (400 hours) as an internship for my Community Health program at USU, but they ended up paying me $3,000 at the end of it! I was stoked! This was a great job "in my field". I spent the summer working on a variety of tobacco cessation campaigns and initiatives.
  
  
• Job #15: Gossner's Cheese Factory. Temp job...which I was grateful for. I was really bad at this job...have you seen the "I love Lucy" episode where Lucy is working a conveyor belt and it's moving too fast and so she starts stuffing chocolate in her mouth and in her bra? Well, that's me. But with cheese (I WISH it was chocolate). :)
  
  
• Job #16: USU Libraries. I worked here my last year at USU. Finally, a job that was manageable! I could do my homework while at work! What an amazing concept. It was great while I was student teaching too...I couldn't have handled any other type of job at the time.
  
  
• Job #17: Icon Health and Fitness. Another Temp Job. Answering questions about equipment over the phone. Pretty boring, but I managed.
  
  
• Job #18: Gossner's Cheese Factory. Back to the old conveyor belt and all of the embarrassment that goes with it. Hey, I needed money! What was I supposed to do!! :)
  
  
• Job #19: Information Alliance. Last job (along with Job #20) before I moved to Lancaster to start my "real" job. It was a phone survey place (like Discovery Research). I didn't mind it this time.
  
  
• Job #20: Janitor at the USU Space Dynamics Lab. One more chance to wake up at 3:00 a.m. before heading to sunny California.
  
  
• Job #21: City of Lancaster Public Works and Maintenance Yard. Well, I moved to Lancaster and I was bored. Probably because I didn't know a single soul in the whole entire city! (Talk about loneliness!). So I got another Temp Job. It only lasted about a week. I spent my shift answering questions about Lancaster that I really didn't know the answers to!
  
  
• Job #22: Rally Car Dealership. Another Temp Job. This one only lasted for a day or two. I spent my shift making copies, faxing papers, and listening to a strange woman tell me about her mid-life crisis. :)
  
  
• Job #23: Lancaster High School 9th-Grade Health Teacher. FINALLY!!! After all of the dinky little jobs...a REAL JOB!!! I was so excited! And I LOVED it!!! Although there were tough times, teaching health was the best thing in the entire world (until, of course, I got married and became a mother).
  
  
• Job #24: Lancaster High School Title 4 Coordinator. This was an extra stipend position where I got to be in charge of a variety of anti-drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and bullying activities. It was a lot of fun! I got to spend FREE money to buy lots of cool things for the students.
  
  
• Job #25: Lancaster High School Cross Country Coach. Self-explanatory. I only coached for one season, but it was awesome. I learned that coaching isn't for me though. I'm not competitive enough.
  
  
• Job #26: Lancaster High School Long Distance Track Coach. Again, I loved it, but coaching isn't for me. I'm glad that I got to try it out though. Coaching track was really hard for me, however, because I was PREGNANT at the time and you know how that is (extra tired, bloated, BIG, heart burn, etc., etc., etc.).
  
  
• Job #27: MOTHER. Finally, the thing that I had been anxiously waiting for for TWENTY FIVE YEARS!!! I have wanted to be a mother for as long as I can remember. I love it more than anything in the whole entire world. I can't believe how much I love my little daughter. I would do anything in the world for her. I am so grateful that my Heavenly Father has allowed me the wonderful opportunity to be a mother. Even if every single day for the rest of my life was like today (sort of MISERABLE), it would all be worth it. I am so grateful that I had the chance to be pregnant and to give birth! What a miracle! I will never be the same again, as I'm sure all of you mother's out there understand.
  
  
  
  Anyway, sorry for the incredibly long vent session! I honestly don't care if anyone reads this, it was just great to get it all out! :)