Friday, March 30, 2007

I LOVE My Job



Jobs I have had:

Newspaper carrier: I carried the local free rag in my neighborhood. Began the job when I was ten years old and carried on faithfully until I turned fifteen.

Babysitter.

Cleaning service for a local, home-based pre-school.

Office work for my dad: collating reports, photocopying, running surveys.

Ice-cream slinger and short order cook at the Big-T (a Dairy Queen type establishment).

Sold jeans at a jeans and shoes store in Chinatown in downtown Vancouver. Now I could tell you stories about THAT job. The shop was located in the heart of the grubbiest part of Vancouver. I sold jeans to homeless people, who would leave the old pair on the floor of the change room, and walk out wearing the next pair to oblivion. I sold jeans to sailors off Russian trawlers. They bought the oldest out-of-date styles. I sold jeans to transvestites and transsexuals and prostitutes. Yes, honey, the jeans make your ass look great! (a line that worked with all three groups).

I worked as a bank teller, first at Bank of Montreal and then at a local credit union. Again, I could tell you stories! I once handed out 10,000 in cash to a player with the Vancouver Canucks (and a known drug user). Hmmm...wonder what he was off to buy with the ten grand.

Worked as a teaching assistant to a professor of learning disabilites while I finished my teaching degree.

Worked for ten years as a high school English/Humanities/Special Ed teacher. BOY, could I tell you stories about that job.

Then I became a graduate student for five years. I was studying theology, philosophy, ancient biblical Greek and New Testament. I had plans to pursue a PhD at Cambridge and take up the torch of teaching New Testament studies to grad students.

Then I burned out.

During this past year, I have on and off again considered seeking a part-time job. I think it would be fun to work in a yarn store, or as a part-time barista at a coffee shop. The problem is, I am terrible at conforming to other people's hours, and time/schedule commitments stress me out. I hated the idea of working for someone whom I would only disappoint when my health made it impossible to show up for work that day.

Now I have the perfect job.

I work at home. I work for myself. I work the hours that I choose to work.

My work allows me to meet the nicest, friendliest people -- knitters -- who are enthusiastic about knitting and yarn, and who make my work fun and personal.

My work allows me to buy up massive quantities of amazing yarn, without guilt, and without expense to my husband.

My work allows me to handle all that amazing yarn everyday, and to transform it into a new kind of amazing yarn.

My work requires that I knit with this yarn, to see how it performs, to get to know its characteristics, to report on its behavior.

My work allows me to paint and use colour and create.

My work gives me the opportunity to be the sender of packages that arrive at other people's doorsteps and make them feel happy.

My work is fun.

I love my job!!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful entry on your blog. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about all of your jobs.
I'm now the one who is waiting anxiously at the other end of your mailings, waiting to be thrilled and excited, as I know I will.
Thanks for sharing Jayne.
Evelyn

CatBookMom said...

As the recipient of one of your packages, I'm a very happy knitter! The extra skeins of Baby Cash arrived today, with the little skein of pinks, ooh, you temptress! Still haven't added one stitch to Moonlight Sonata. Sigh.

Anonymous said...

Jayne, I think you've found the job that is perfect for you. What's that adage, do what you love and you will love what you do? Glad you found such fulfilling, flexible work. :-}

Anonymous said...

Jayne, you are so good at this you have to love it! I have been thinking of a good reason to get my hands on some of your delicious goodies (having run out of space to store yarn doesn't help...) and just remembered that my birthday is not that far off. Now I can look forward to it...

Keep it up!

jayne said...

Ha ha, I really enjoy tucking those extra samples into my packages. I think of them more as little bonuses rather than temptations, but whatever turns your crank, CBM. LOL.

Thanks Marta (and Evelyn and Benne), I came out with two new colours this afternoon. I'll post them tomorrow. One is lilacs and the other is a sunshiny apricot. I love how cheerful that one is.

LisaW. said...

Doin' whatcha luv n' luvvin whatcha do....makes for a happy spirit. And a happy spirit is a creative and productive spirit....leastwise that's what I always heard.

Anonymous said...

Oh, Oh, Oh, I want the apricot !!!!
Evelyn

Kemma said...

What a fantastic new job you've got. A dream job! But I had to laugh (and laugh some more) that you, too, had done time at the Big-T. That was my pocket-money-and-saving-for-college job during high school, and man, what a hoot it was. But of course a million years before you would've been there. We even sold "Hoser Burgers" back in the day. Take off, eh?

jayne said...

Oh, Kemma, what a laugh! Now I have to know, where was your Big T? Mine was in North Vancouver in the lower Lonsdale area. We called it "The Big Zit" and "The Big Tit" and on really bad days, "The Hole." The owner put me in charge of the grill and lock-up when I was only 16 years old. My friends and I worked the Saturday shift and had whipping cream wars after closing. Extra clean-up but worth it. Late on the Saturday night shift, we had to call the police on two different occasions. Once when some customer stole all our potted plants. And another time a male customer was in the mensroom naked. Every now and then he would come out and walk around the dining area and then skulk back to the men's room.