After months and months of kicking this around in the privacy of my own brain (which is scary enough), I'm taking the big leap to blogging. Out loud. In public. For anyone to see.
I'm a little nervous. Be nice, please.
A little about me... my name is Beverly, and I'm the wife of a great guy and the mother of four incredible kids. I "stopped working" about 12 years ago to stay home and raise our children. I put the phrase "stopped working" in quotes because being a stay-at-home mom is definitely not for the faint of heart. Of course you don't ever stop working when you're a mom -- employed outside the home or not -- but having four little mini-yous as your sole employer adds a whole new dimension is to the term "job security." Although my husband and I did not take this decision to go to a one-income life lightly, I'm not sure either of us ever expected this season of our lives to last as long as it has. Around this time last year I started realizing that maybe it was time to make a change. Our youngest child was in kindergarten and I knew I needed to consider that maybe it was time to go back to work. Outside the home.
I started my adult career life as a newspaper reporter and ended it as a PR wonk for a senior services agency, but haven't really kept up any kinds of certifications or skills that would help me go back to either of those careers. Not that I really want to spend my days back in the PR field. I'd had enough of that in 1998, I can't imagine it would be more fun now.
So in an effort to ease my transition back into the world of the worker, we decided I would take Kylie's kindergarten year as a kind-of last hurrah as a stay-at-home mom. I would volunteer. Take classes. Do. Stuff.
Figure out What I Want to Be When I Grow Up.
Huh. A year later and I'm still at a loss about that last thing. I think I've done a fair amount of volunteering, although I wouldn't consider myself an overachiever in that way ;) Haven't done a lot in terms of the "take classes" area either. Rather, I've spent hours doing "center time" activities with the kindergarteners in my daughter's class. And going over math problems and doing busy work for my third-grader's teacher. Sometimes, if I'm really lucky, I get to chaperone a field trip. I've also taught sixth-graders Catholic catechism, attended room mom meetings, and organized a fledgling, foundering Bunco group. In short, I've done a lot of "stuff" but haven't really worked on figuring out the career thing.
So. I'm wondering now if this is a situation unique to me, or if there are other moms, dads, whomever out there in this season of life, wondering exactly what they're going to do next. Please don't misunderstand - I wouldn't change a bit of what I've done over the past 13 years. I have been blessed with an awesome life, I love my family desperately and would do anything for them. I am a happy mom. But I know that at some point, being a mom may no longer be enough to define me. So rather than wait for that happen, I figure it would be a good idea to really explore what I want to be When I Grow Up. I'm hoping you come along on this journey with me as I work toward this goal. I may study for a certification as a pharmacy technician. Or continue some long-abandoned plans to teach preschool. Maybe I'll just end up working at the Hallmark Store (gosh I love the Hallmark Store.)
It may not be easy but I think it's going to be a lot of fun. Come along with me and feel free to let me know what you're thinking. But like I said before... be nice!
I love this! Thank you for sharing. I am headed to being in the same boat with you, and maybe your journey will help me figure out mine! Love you, girlie!
ReplyDeleteAgreed thank you for sharing. I think you are in the right place now to start over and try something really scary and really different. For me, I had to see it in black and white. I wrote down a list of accomplishments that I wanted for myself that did not involve my parent, partner, or son. It was hard to leave them out. I realized when I was done that if I were to accomplish these things it would only benefit and help the other people in my life. All while I am helping myself. It sounds easy, but it is not. The list took a long time and I still have not tackled many objectives, BUT it gives me direction. And as a mom - I love lists! LOL I wish you all the luck!
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