The Trickle Effect

This Tuesday I have a second interview at my dream "company." It's small, close to home, eclectic, private, part time and most important an Art School! While maybe not necessarily my dream position, it is one step closer towards the arts and it leverages my prior experience. The job entails working as a coordinator in the admissions group. I've always thought I would make a great admissions councilor. I have my own important memory of being admitted to Western Maryland College and will never forget my counselor, Lisa. I had a 1.8 graduating from high school, never did much outside of cheer leading and flag twirling, was hung up in the wrong crowd with a very wrong boy, and smoked my SAT's with a whopping 880...let's just say there were no ivy league-rs stepping up with scholarship money! My destiny would be determined from one essay and one interview. The essay theme was, "Tell us about a person who inspires you." I talked about my brother and how he had taken a very different road in life. How he'd met an older woman at 18, adopted her child, went into the military, had two more back to back children and barely had enough cash for spaghettio's. He never listened to my parents and insisted on learning everything the hard way. I told Lisa that watching him struggle made it clear to me that I needed to turn my life around. I needed to catch a break, get into college and I would show them that I could be a great student. Somehow my plan worked and I was accepted. It was the happiest day in my life and one of those life defining moments I think we all have. I knew I had been given my second chance and it was up to me to make the most it. It was the first time in my life that I believed in myself despite what numbers on tests proved otherwise. I went on to study deaf education which eventually turned into being an English major, Communications minor. I even made Dean's List-highest honors one semester. I was active the community, was in a great sorority, and truly appreciated every minute of every day in college.

OK, so now that I've given you some background, I can get to my point. To quote Shakespeare...Ay there's the rub....there always has to be one..otherwise this blog would suck.

To accept a part time position, even if I love the people, the school, and the dream could manifest...the position pays a measly $15/hour. 22 hours a week... do the math, it's not a lot of money. I currently make 3 times that and then some.

So, let the trickling begin. If offered the job, do I take it at the risk of financially crippling my family? Take the kids out of school-will they have speech delays and social problems? Will they get sicker in kindergarten because they won't be exposed to all the immune building bugs they tell me are so beneficial now? Will I drive an unsafe car because we can't afford one that is safe? Will we be able to move or will my lack of income kill our borrowing power? Will I hate being with the kids full days a few days a week and become the yelling screaming mom I see on TV? Will my husband resent me for following a dream and placing an enormous burden on him? Or...will my trickle flow upwards...will I enjoy being out of the house a few days a week and maybe make a friend or 12, I might learn a new business and get exposure to a non-profit, higher education and art school all at once. Instead of being stressed 24x7, I'll have a clear path to work, not have the distractions of being at home like I do now, have a job that I won't necessarily have to bring home with me and think about at 3am. No late night interview preps, no tracking down clients for offers, no quarterly reports, no what's your GP and what's your plan, no going into Boston or out to Marlborough. I'll have dedicated days off just for me and the kids....with NO stress of being caught. We'll beach it, park it, library it, go to farmers markets and maybe start and finish craft projects. We'll be able to work our creative minds and the burden of Internet shopping at Hanna Andersson will be alleviated...no keeping up with the Jones' while at home! No germs to obsess about, no meetings/school to rush to and from, no pealing away crying, snotting babies from my chest each morning. No more praying that today someone will make them wash their hands and they won't get the --------- for the 6th time (insert stomach flu, pink eye, strep throat, cold, bronchitis, hand/foot mouth, 5th's etc),No more lying to them saying, you'll have fun today and it will be ok. All of that can wait right? What's another couple of years? And maybe, just maybe, I'll have the chance to make an impact in someones life...hopefully with my own kids and the kids at the school. Is this another 2nd chance?

What would you do?

It's all in how you look at it

Anyone with kids probably watches PBS as much as I do. There is a snippet they play over and over again in between programs that has kids sticking there hands into a big bowl of spaghetti and saying, "I think it's eyeballs." Then the camera flashes to another tot playing "drums" on pots and pans.

Last night I hosted a "failed" art show. Had it not been for 4 of my friends/family that showed up, it would have been a complete bust. However I did learn something and will make these notes to remember.

How not to host an art show 101:

1. Do not try to throw together your art show in a few weeks. It's not enough time, period.
2. Do not market your art show like a yard sale. Goofy neon signs with catchy little sayings is not enough.
3. When you do not receive any RSVP's, do not order food for the people you hope, "surely just forgot to RSVP and will be there in spite of missing said date to RSVP."
4. NEVER use 3M Command stripes to hang your glass framed art in an Africa hot studio-they will fall, they will break.
5. When marketing children's art, don't invite the entire population, they'll just come in, eat your food, complain about your wine choices and leave.
6. When marketing to the correct people, know that choices are good, no inventory is bad.
7. Always have cash available for those who want to pay with it and need change.
8. Bring trash bags.
9. Don't host it on a hot summer night, the week after 7/4 and from 7-9pm. Mom's/dad's with kids are putting kids to bed.
10. Know that buyers who are buying gifts will buy the less expensive art, buyers who are buying for themselves want the expensive stuff.
11. Don't call your mom crying after the show, she'll just worry and you'll break her heart along with yours. It's your mistake to learn from. Don't dump it on her.
12. Do go home and cry to your hubby...especially if he's your best friend too. He'll give you invaluable advice, feed you peach pie, and point out all the things you should keep in perspective...because as he reminded me, it really is "all in how you look at it."

A Life Transitioner

Funny thing happened this weekend while my mom and I were talking. I was telling her that I was thinking about a career as a Life Coach. I have a lot of professional interviewing experience and would love to help people define their career path. In my quest to do something different, I thought this idea du-jour fit nicely.

Some time passed and while driving by the train station, I saw a huge brick warehouse with a for rent sign. It happened to be right next to a halfway house. I pointed the warehouse out to my mom and asked her what she thought I could do with it. She says, "well, if you are a 'Life Transitioner', you would probably do well there." I thought that was pretty funny... she thinks that I belonged in the halfway house because my own life is in such transition. I gave her a pat on the back for a good joke told. No, no, no she says...I meant that you would do well at counseling in that halfway house...you know, as your new job as a "Life Transitioner." Mom, I said, it's a "Life Coach"...and it was funnier when I misunderstood you.