Thump on the Head

I have to admit, Kevin and I have enjoyed being retired these past few months. We have gotten into a groove since we moved and most importantly, we don’t hate hanging out together all the time. But this week has reminded us that we aren’t quite ready to retire yet.

We have both applied for a lot of jobs. I didn’t think I wanted to work with children when we moved out here, but it really is who I am. Turns out, The Boys and Girls Club of Oceanside agrees.

They were the first job I applied for. It is an Afterschool Specialist position in an at risk elementary school. When I got the email requesting answers to more questions and an interview, I was pleased at first. And then, I almost cancelled the interview. I seriously told Kevin I wasn’t going to go because it wasn’t a job I wanted. I decided to sleep on my decision, and the next day, I changed my mind and decided to go. I did some research into the organization and I was impressed with their mission.

So, last Friday, I went to the interview with no expectations what so ever. I didn’t expect to want the job; I really just wanted to see what they would offer me. I left the interview with a totally different point of view. I was impressed with the man who interviewed me and the swarms of children attending summer camp at their headquarters touched me. I started to think that maybe I did want this job. I looked at the school calendar and decided that I would only take the job for three days a week at a certain hourly rate. I was solid with my decision.

Enter Monday and Tuesday. First, we get an unexpected medical bill. Then a letter from our HOA that we need to paint the eaves of our new house. (New Management Company trying to show off.) That was Monday. Tuesday, we had first visits to our new vet and groomer and license plates for my car. That made it a reality that we needed to “un-retire” for a while. Low and behold, while we are waiting for the dogs to get done at the groomers, I get a phone call with a job offer from the Boys and Girls Club. Not three days a week, but five. Not at the hourly rate I wanted, but close. Did I accept it? You bet I did! Great hours, working with at risk children, meeting new people, making a difference in my new community. What’s there not to love??

Yep, God thumped me on the head. Hard. I had gotten used to my life of leisure. I had gotten soft. And I am the rational, planner of the family! So, the job I didn’t think I wanted, that I almost didn’t go to the interview for, is my new job. Am I excited? Not yet-I will be. I am still wrapping my head around the fact that we actually LIVE here! Now, I have a job! Yeah me?? Honestly, it feels good to be part of something bigger than myself. It feels good to know I will be contributing not only to my new community, but to our family finances as well.

So, it is time to start planning the future based on my new schedule. Best of all, I am going to be working with an organization that I believe in and have room to grow in. The Boys and Girls Club is HUGE and I am blessed to be a small part of this wonderful mission they are on. So thanks, God, for the thump on the head-I needed it!

Safe travels,

Lori