Some Days

Some days I have been staying at home and some days I have been going into the sad and desperate office. Every day is busy. How the hell did I ever get anything done when I was at work all the time? Maybe I just drank more coffee. Anyway, all days have a full agenda. No down time so far.

I just took the SAT as part of a job application to teach SAT preparation. Now I'm all fingernail bitey as I wait for the results. I have to score in the 90th percentile to be able to teach. The English portion seemed pretty easy (watch me flunk) but the math portion was like... oy, like high school. Honestly, I haven't done algebra since then and have had NO REASON to. Geometry? Well, I guess you could call some of the quilting that I've done an exercise in geometry. The worst part was trying to remember formulas like areas of cubes and slope intercept formulas when the only formula I dealt with for the past 28 years was the type that turned into spit up.

So I'm still looking for gainful employment. But Daniel starts his job this weekend, and I will honestly be able to say that my 15 year old will be earning a greater salary than I.

I remember my first job (delivering the Washington Star newspaper) and the crackle of real paper money in my purse. Then babysitting. Then working at Sears, in customer service. Let me tell you, that's one way to learn about humanity, and it takes a brave person or a stupid high-schooler to stand at that counter and let dissatisfied customers get all in their face. There was one hellish episode where a man, angry over the quality of his newly purchased appliance, yelled at little old me with his finger in my face as if I personally had loosened all the bolts. I must have looked quite shocked, with my eyebrows up to my hairline & mouth agape because my manager (Ms. Linda Little) every so quietly escorted that not very gentleman into her office and shut the door. He walked out of there, 15 minutes later, with a set mouth, and his hands twisting his hat. Ms. Little came out smiling.

She said to me that I never EVER had to put up with anyone talking like that to me. EVER. She wasn't just talking about in a job situation, she was talking about life and I've never forgotten. Thanks, Linda Little, wherever you are.