Friday, April 18, 2008

Five Minute Friday: Job reflections...part two...

Yesterday I shared the history of my soon-to-be-ending job and how much I love it and though I may not have mentioned it specifically, I will be so sad to see it come to an end next month. I've wondered, off and on, since getting the news that the shop is closing, why God would let me find a perfect job like this and then let it only last for a year. Not doubting the Big Guy's wisdom or anything, but it is one of those mysteries of life I'm wont to ponder.

Throughout my ponderances, I've realized that a lot of good things have come from this brief yarn shop stint, some I could have guessed and others I'd never have thought of. So, for today's FMF, I'm going to list -- in no particular order -- as many of these good things as I can think of (though I may have to add more later because I'm really tired right now and may leave something important out).

1. Generous employee discount used to enable personal yarn stash enhancement.

2. The almost weekly opportunity to do the 50% mark-downs, thus giving me first dibs on the discounted yarn and further enabling my personal yarn stash enhancement.

3. Becoming friends with six enjoyable, wonderful ladies.

4. Working as a clerk and operating a cash register for the first time in many years, which I found to be quite enjoyable (and using the change-counting skills I learned back in my Burger King days of high school LOL).

5. Deriving an unexpected boost to my sense of self-worth as I realized that I was still employable after spending nearly 14 years out of the work force at home raising kids (intermittent periods of self-employment not counting).

6. Regular opportunities to stare at/fondle/sniff all the yarn I could want.

7. Learning...oh, the learning...about the yarns, about gauge, about reading patterns, about finishing, about fixing mistakes in my knitting, about so, so, so many things. It was a year of immersion education. Absolutely priceless.

8. Learning about my body and proportions and sizing and the fact that I am not as big as I tend to think I am. Really an eye-opener.

9. Related to #7, learning that it is entirely possible to knit myself a sweater without seeking out the absolutely hugest-sized, sack-like pattern I can find, and that I can, indeed, wear something more fitted and look good in it.

10. Getting to know customers and their likes and dislikes and quirks and realizing that I'm not as completely anti-social as I sometimes think I am about people. :}

11. Tuna salad. (What I brought for lunch 90% of the time...I almost never eat tuna salad, but it became a comfortable Saturday lunch staple, and I'm going to miss that! LOL)

12. Having the chance to teach others how to knit. Loved giving back to the craft in that way.

13. Getting a little paycheck with my name on it twice a month. Kewl!

14. Being constantly inspired by colors and textures of yarn all around me.

I know there's more, but I'm beat, and I have to go to work in the morning. (Yeay!)

1 comment:

Mary Kay said...

how wonderful to have a job that you loved and were able to be inspired each time you went to work. what a great business to be in! Sorry it is ending, but you are able to take away so much!