Category Archives: Day Jobs and Dream Jobs

The In-Between

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  I’m late. As usual.   I run to the car, without the time to second guess combining the thick black rimmed glasses with the billowy skirt and the sturdy black boots.  I wonder if my boss questions what happened to that woman who showed up to interview, in the urban chic business attire, the patent leather heels, and the straightened, shiny hair,  which today, piles onto my shoulders, bigger than usual, thanks to the slight bit of damp on this cool spring morning. It’s spring break week, my work schedule at the mercy of friends willing to take my … Continue reading →

Presence

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I’ve recently begun reading Kristen Lamb’s blog, which I highly recommend to any writer/blogger.  She’s a goldmine of information and also understands and teaches to finding success as a writer in the digital age.  Last week, Kristen blogged about the importance of having successful author presence.   What exactly does this mean? As Kristen noted, presence is a hard thing to explain, but if I were to take my stab at defining it, here’s where I would start.   Own Your Space Presence is about owning your space, whether that space means your blog, your book, your social media page, your … Continue reading →

Finding Infinity

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The fall was a blur.  Suddenly, there was one of me, and one of me to get everything done that used to get done by two.  There were the logistics of running a house, paying for a house, and being the 24/7 parent for my children, with little to no down time.   In the back of my mind, I knew there were “big decisions” that needed to be made, yet, I promised myself in the heat of my finding my footing, that I would put off those decisions until January.  The one crusade that I had decided upon was being … Continue reading →

Finding The Fire

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The end of 2012 hit with a bang – but not the kind of bang I expected.  We were sick this week, the kids and I.  Like, “super sick.”  The little one spiked a fever so high on Christmas night, that I was ready to drive her to the ER, until the Motrin, tepid baths, and cool wash cloths lowered her temperature “just enough” that I knew she was out of danger.  My older girl followed suit the next day, and then I came down with a full blown version of whatever they had which sent me begging my doctor … Continue reading →

The Man Who Didn’t Like Me

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He didn’t like me, which was obvious from the moment he signed into the conference, and had trouble locating his name on my list of attendees.  The names weren’t alphabetized. I didn’t have time to alphabetize.  The entirety of my Friday was a last minute scramble to print and copy a dozen different forms and handouts, while answering emails with questions on the hotel, and loading up my car in time to get to the conference when it started. I have been one step behind preparing for this conference since I began this new job a month ago. There is … Continue reading →

My Big Girl Voice

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E. had a few things to say to me after my confession. “Why did you do that?” her voice sounding a little annoyed.   “They needed help.” “And why did they need help?” “Uh…” I stammered, feeling as if I was about to answer a trick question. “They were in a bind.” “Their bind is their problem!”  She continued.  “It’s not your problem, don’t make it your problem.  Next time you need to say no.”  “OK.” “How do you ever expect to get to the things that really matter to you if you keep saying yes to the things that … Continue reading →

My Big Bad Belly Tattoo

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I stand in front of the mirror with a black sharpie, with my shirt hiked to my upper ribs. I pull the skin around my belly taut and dig the marker into my abdomen, as I slowly begin to write the backwards B, which in the mirror, looks forward facing. This was my assignment from E, the transformative coach with whom I had just spent an hour rambling about the past 4 years of my life, the many changes, studying yoga, the issues with my marriage, and what I see as my ideal future.   “What do you want for … Continue reading →

My Big Girl Shoes

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Predictably, the morning went to pot since I had to get out of the house a half hour earlier than usual. To my new bosses it probably felt like a nominal request. “Can you come in a half hour early on Friday?” What’s a half hour to most people?   But for me, it required making “arrangements,” two sets of arrangements to be precise.  One for my grade school kids and one for my preschooler.  A neighborhood parent was kind enough to see the older guys onto the bus, and I was able to drop off my toddler a half … Continue reading →

I Got Your Back

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  “It’s not going to work,” I say.  “There’s just no way.” “Why not?”  She asks, setting a glass of water down on the table for me to drink. I have been torn the last few weeks, really torn, over what to do about work.  I need to generate more income, yet the thought of going back to the corporate world that I came from makes me anxious. I recall the days of trying to “juggle it all,” being the only adult left in the house after 7:00 in the morning, not yet showered, and up against three rogue kids … Continue reading →

To The Mom on Craig’s List

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URGENT!  Babysitter needed! For children ages 4, 6, and 7 September 4th and 5th in my home 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.  Offering $13.00 per hour   Stated the ad on Craig’s List. I felt like I knew this woman, or for that matter, this woman could have been me.  My guess was that her childcare plans for the two work days leading up to the first day of school and their corresponding aftercare programs had fallen through. And she had to get to work. I lived that reality for years, with young children.  Did my children come first?  Of … Continue reading →