Work brings about love/hate responses. It shows off our strengths, reveals our weaknesses, and pushes us sometimes kicking and screaming, into unknown waters to sink or swim. There are things in jobs we love and things in jobs we hate but at the end of the day, we get something from them—even if it’s nothing more than a paycheck or aching feet.
Oh, I have worked lots of jobs over the years, everything from cleaning the rink (basically mopping floors and cleaning windows) when I was in junior high, to endless babysitting at $2 an hour. There was acting, wedding catering, hostessing at Ocean's bar & grill (the perfect job for a Mormon girl), title insurance (I can type any legal description), and many more. Each experience taught me something—a skill, a habit; each one exposed me to new things, new people.
I don’t think I ever really realized before how important these sometimes menial tasks were in my development. The mastery of those “contributions to society” or these things I did for the noble cause of cold hard cash.
I’ve worked part time, I’ve worked full time, I’ve worked overtime, I’ve worked no time. Not all work is paid work, as many thankless interns and volunteers (and mothers) can attest. Some of my best work experiences have been unpaid. Working for money makes you think about money in a new light and consequently all the things you spend it on.
So as I glance in my rearview mirror of work gone by, you are welcome to take a peek:
Professional Ice Skater, circa 1976, North America. Lesson: I learned how to smile. How to survive in only the company of a half dozen kids all day. It taught me to be spontaneous: I can make a baby bottle out of a crayon and read books amazingly well. Rewards: Those memories have permanent residence in Ms. B’s heart and I experienced the very genuine warmth of a family that works together. And my skating skills are cracker-jack.Acting at a TV commercial level, circa 1982, LA Area, CA. Lesson: I got to film a six-hour rain storm scene (yes, they were exploring alternate tire traction). That pretty much helped me overcome any fear of being out in the rain for any length of time. I had to learn how to film a commercial from the bottom up and go on commercial calls a few times a week with interesting, colorful casting directors. I had to talk to people face to face and on camera. Reward: A twenty-minute sacrament meeting talk doesn’t make me bat an eyelash.
Ice rink manager/skating director, circa 1990, SLC, UT. Lesson: I became a master with running a cash register, exchanging skates, and wrapping laces (probably lost a few brain cells along the way due to Zamboni fumes and freon) and it taught me to think creatively. I had the job of transforming little people into graceful ice skaters and holiday-like shows with the help of hundreds of hours, lots of ice, and dresses. I concocted life-sized ice skating Santa events and competitions for skaters made out of beginners and trophies. Reward: It was where I met my HS boyfriend, but I didn’t ever go out with him, so scratch that. Being downtown I sometimes would work the Nordstrom sales as a cashier and get discounts on clothes as well!
Deli clerk/wedding caterer/hostess, circa 1992, Uptown. Lesson: Well, I overcame any fears of navigating public transportation. As a necessity I had to learn to talk to everyone; there was no room for shyness. You had to meet them, greet them, and take their order. Reward: Competency in my profession, confidence talking to anyone, and the most exquisite memories of watching dream weddings unfold when I would work into the evening.
Legal assistant/title insurance, circa 1993, SLC, UT. Lesson: What stress at work really means, when it comes to real estate and million dollar transactions. Reward: Having an attorney for my boss that carried me with him through three different company changes.
Skating Instructor, present, County. Lesson: Has made me have faith in entrepreneurship, my own dreams, and the power of creativity. Reward: Umm, I get to skate for money. Does life get much better than that?
Motherhood, circa 1995-, Home. Lesson: Well, I have got world travel with babies down. I’ve mastered the art of occupying kids for a week out of what I can pack in one suitcase. I include in this category a very short stint of teaching at Markus' preschool. Rewards: A passport full of stamps, thousands of smiles, friends the world over that all manage to fit inside my heart, and the constant realization that the world is actually very small.
I am thankful for work! My life is so much richer and fuller for all those experiences.
