Monday, December 06, 2010

Letting Go

December 5th Reverb 10

Prompt:
Let Go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why?

After a two year absence from the work force and yet another move from the sunny side of Louisville (across the river in Indiana) to the tiny town that straddles Tennessee and Kentucky, it was decided that I needed to find a job. I had to do something more effective than play the game of roulette wheel called Career Builder.

Searching Career Builder led to nary a lead. Avon positions, small investment opportunities, non-salaried positions prevailed the landscape of this military equipped, supplied, signed, sealed and delivered little corner of the world.

There was nothing. Even a search of Nashville yielded little to nothing. Interviews were scarce. It was then that I had to revert back to an old system of looking for a job - hitting the pavement.

My first stop was the Biscuit Bucket that is approximately six miles down the two laner from our house on the border town. I was almost hired on the spot. Heather Be Thy Name was the brand new Retail Manager and called me later that day to set up an interview. I was so desperate that I took it and was to report on Wednesday for official training.

I took the job thinking that it would be short term. I was convinced I could find something more in my line of expertise, account and sales management, that would utilize my college business degree. Hopefully in the beverage industry which I knew like the back of my hand.

Did not happen. Isn't that the way life works. Those ironic little twists and turns on the road to salvation?

I had to let go of the idea that I was better than this. I had to kiss good-bye the notion that this work was beneath me. I had to drop kick the resentment. Resentment? Yes, I was angry that no one valued my experience, my smarts and my charm.

I had to tie it all up in one big parcel and tie about a thousand balloons to it and let it go...go...go...Up..Up..Up.

And as the previous entry, I am very happy working my butt off for the great unwashed. Letting go was the best thing I could have done for myself.

3 comments:

Nelle said...

I am so glad you were able to do this. I have a friend who got layed off a few years ago who supports herself. Her unemployment ran out and family helped her for a long time before she became too embarassed to ask for more. Long story short they foreclosed on her condo. She had decided she would NOT work retail. As the Bible says "pride goeth before a fall." I wish she could have let that go, she might still have her home. It's not easy to do but sometimes necesssary for our very survival.

Remembering Grace said...

Are you down there by Fort Campbell? I spent three years there growing up when my dad was stationed there. We used to travel back and forth from Louisville, such a long drive...

alphawoman said...

Yup, Ft. Campbell, home of the Screaming Eagles!