Job Interviews

I don't know what made me think of this but I can't stop thinking about my very first and my very last job interviews lately. I'm definitely not looking to get back to working any time soon but these memories are stuck in my head.

My first job interview was at Hollywood Video when I was 16 or 17 years old. I didn't need a job but my best friend at the time did so I applied everywhere he did. I remember my best friend being mad because he didn't get called in for an interview even though we both had the exact same information on our resumes and applications. I completely botched that interview. I had no idea what to say and I blew it. The manager asked me what I would do if I was in the middle of a project and I noticed there was a huge line of people waiting to check out. I said it depended on how important the project was. Stupid really, but I didn't know any better. Oh yeah, I didn't get the job.

My last interview was at Dockers just five years ago. I thought I would just be temporary holiday, though I definitely wanted more. I got lucky and became a supervisor very quickly. I worked until about a month before I had Gibbie, not even a full year there, but it was a lot of fun. I had always wanted to tell someone, "Ma'am, I am the supervisor." It was everything I thought it would be and more when I finally got to say it! I considered for a while going back after maternity leave but in the end I chose the better position for me.

My current job didn't come with an interview and it still blows my mind that almost any woman can do it. I sometimes wonder if I would have gotten the job if someone was around to interview me. I can only imagine the questions I would have been asked. "How are you under pressure?" "Do you preform well on little to no sleep?" "Are you easily startled?" "Do you tend to get queasy easily?" I don't think I would have gotten the job. I still wonder if I should have the job!

I sometimes stop and think about when I will go back to work and what kind of job I'll have. I still dream about being the PTA parent, den mother, field trip chaperon, and then some. I do love selling Pampered Chef but I just don't know if it's a huge passion for me and something I'll do for years to come. For now, I will spend my time on my current job. Mama, nurse, coach, teacher, etc. I'll go on trying not to yell, doing my best to nurture, and wishing I had a maid. I'm so blessed to be in my current position!

Origin of Free

In the last week I've been exploring my love of writing and the freedom it gives me. While I'm writing I have a brief moment of just being me. For that moment I'm not mama or wifey. I'm only Rue. I love my life of mama and wifey but can we all agree that there are times when you wonder who you were before mama and wifey came along?

It's no wonder that I think of my renewed passion for writing as being free. If you're a nerd like me you might occasionally look into the origin of words. It's interesting to me to discover where words came from and what their original meanings were. How did the word "free" get to free? Praise Google! A two second search led me to find that it has an Indo-European root meaning "to love." It actually shares it's origin with the word "friend." It's funny and awesome how all of those things are running through my head all of the time now. By loving myself more I'm finding that I'm free of my self imposed restrictions on myself and therefore I'm back to being my own friend.

I love words. They make me happy.