18.8.09

Many hats

photo via flickr
I like wearing a lot of hats, it keeps life interesting, but sometimes it also feels like perhaps I am not taking life seriously enough, like I am pretending with all of these pretend jobs. Why can't I just find one real 9 to 5 office-girl job and be done with it?

When we go to parties and people ask what I do, I usually just pick one from the list and leave it at that. I say, "I'm an English teacher" or, "I'm a graphic designer" or, "I'm a contemporary dancer" or, "I own my own business" (I rarely use that one). Big Chuck then always pipes up, dissatisfied with my answer, and proceeds to fill in the casual inquirer on the story of my life, while I stand there and feel dumb. Now, I may be exaggerating (slightly), I know he does it because he thinks that I am being modest, but modesty be damned - I just don't want to relate to every person we meet the details of how I came to be standing there in front of them. Sometimes I wish I could just say something simple and straight forward that requires no elaborate explanations, "I'm an accountant!", the end.

The idea of working at desk in an office in a random building in a random city is not what scares me, it's the idea that the work itself will be so uninspiring that I may as well be an accountant (no offense accountants - I really do respect your maths skills). Although I have a schedule that can at times be irregular (and therefor, money unreliable), I do value the newness it brings to every day.

Spending my summer days playing with kids in the sunshine, and teaching them dance, and in the evenings shipping orders and blogging, is a darn good way to make a living.

Just one question, who should I speak to about that raise??

3 comments:

  1. LOL! Bess I am really jelous of your growing sucess. 9 to 5 sucks. Being yelled at because I "missed the boat" sucks. Putting aside my creativity sucks.
    I hate answering that question too with "Im a designer"...."what kind of designer?" "sigh...fashion"..."Oh my god! thats so cool! who do you work for?" At that point if I dont say "Gucci" or "Prada" they stare at me blankly like I am fabricating my place of work.
    I can totally relate to this post.
    As for the raise...you should really just talk to yourself about that! Raises don't happen here either, after the wedding, I'm considering picking up a part time job...maybe pampered chef?
    Next time I am telling people that I am an unemployed freeloader...that will shut them up.

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  2. thanks for your comment Linda! It's so fun to hear what you have to say. Unemployed freeloader, hummm... will have to give that one a try ;)

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  3. Yeah everyone likes hearing what I have to say...sometimes not in a good way. Thus the blog..

    :)

    "Nice to meet you Bess, what do you do for a living".

    "Well, I pretty much sit at home and live off of Charles's money. Can't find a job because of that time I was in jail and I have a learning disability".

    That should go over nicely.

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