Work While You Work, Play While You Play

So I finally found gainful employment. A position I had applied for, seemingly months ago, finally came through. The position had been offered to me, but the money had yet to be mentioned pending reference checks. The call came earlier this week with the salary offer. Which was right where I was hoping it would be, so I enthusiastically accepted. I start Monday.

To say that I’m nervous is an understatement. I really wanted this job when I applied for it. I really wanted this job even more after I interviewed for the position. I was practically salivating over the job when I was brought in to go over a detailed, multi-page job description. I was almost climbing the walls when days turned into a week, then two, without a salary offer.

And then it came and all was right with the world.


But the case of nerves? For a job that I wanted so badly, why am I nervous? Well, it’s partly because I wanted the job so badly that I’m concerned that I’ll be let down by all the build-up, but there’s also the fact that for a few years I bemoaned the fact that I was working in a job that didn’t require my college degree. And now that I’m back on track in a PROFESSIONAL career, it’s overwhelming.

I have always wanted to work in the field of non-profit fundraising. I like the idea of grassroots much better than corporate. I love the idea of making a difference in this crazy world of ours. I really think that this job will let me get back into doing what I do best... working with people and making them feel good about the financial decisions they made in donating to a good cause and generating creative ideas on generating new money-making events.

But it’s been several years since I worked at a non-profit and while I hope it’s like riding a bike and will soon become quite comfortable, the nature of the business has to have changed in these tough economic times. While I’m good at the whole baptism under fire – learning under pressure is the only way to go – I just hope that this old dog doesn’t need to learn all new tricks.

So in light of the new job, I have gone shopping. Target’s sales racks are dangerous and addictive. In two days, I have hit four stores with mixed results. When I wasn’t looking for anything but ‘work clothes,’ I did great. But when I started to look for items that I had already bought in different colors, I learned that clearance is a whole lot of things that don’t sell well and a little bit of single items getting marked down to make room.

But in my excursion yesterday, I headed south. And south took me farther than the South County Target. I cruised down 270 to 255 and exited at Koch Road. Yes, I drove Robert Koch Hospital Road, looking longingly to my left, as I lead a parade of trucks and cars who thwarted my hopes of driving slowly along the former hospital grounds in an attempt to see if there was an easy way to slip onto the property. Curses, foiled again.

So today, my official last day of unemployment – because the weekend doesn’t count – will be spent shopping some more. I plan on returning a few things to Target that were bought in the heat of the moment, and then off to scoop up my mother-in-law and whisk her off to the happiest of happy places for book lovers around the region… the St. Louis Book Fair out at West County Mall.

For those of you not in the know, it’s my idea of Heaven… and Hell. Books! Cheap Books! For as far as the eye can see! All waiting for a good home to go to…
And that’s my problem. I want to rescue them all.

But I plan on focusing my search this year. Books that are no older than five years old pertaining to non-profits and ways to fundraise and, drum roll please, historical romance novels that aren’t overly formulaic. Yes, they are a guilty pleasure of mine, but someday – and sooner rather than later – I want to publish. I have a story I’m editing that others have enjoyed so I figure that I can chock up this kind of reading as ‘research.’

What a double life that would be… Making the world a better place by day and bodice-ripping authoress by night. Hey, maybe that can be an incentive for people to buy my book! With each purchase, I’d donate a percentage of the profit to a charitable organization. I might have to explore that idea…