The Times They Are a Changing

It's been coming for a while. I think I need a career change and the age of fifty two seems like a perfect time. (NOT)

I have been a waitress so long that it was politically correct to call us that when I started.

Since I got back from vacation I have been thinking more and more about how I really don't want to do this anymore. It was a good three decade run for the most part but just like Forrest Gump said when he got tired of running... "I'm pretty  tired, I  think I'll go home now."

I love my regular customers and love meeting new people, hopefully giving them a wonderful dining experience. It's the few people who won't even look up at you while ordering and the one's who won't bother to get off their cell phone to order and seemed ticked that I am interrupting their phone call. It's that and a lot more...but those are two of my biggest peeves.

I am over half a century old; have had the same occupation for almost thirty four years  and work for $2.13 an hour. That seems insane to me.

When I got home from work tonight at almost midnight, I went out back with the pups and sat back in the hammock. I said to God "If I need to change jobs...send me a sign."

Not two minutes later a star streaked across the dark sky.

Granted there is a meteor shower this weekend but there have been many times during one  I sat out back for over an hour and never saw squat.

Tonight I saw my sign.

Then I begin to think...What will I do?
I love to read but am WAY too loud for a library job. I could work in an office but I hate panty hose, only own four nice dresses and am also WAY too loud for an office.

Then I thought, what do I really WANT to do?
Can we all say it together?

"WRITE."

If I could sit and pour my soul out...even with a pen on paper, I would do it for hours and often have.

Then I said to myself..."What's stopping you, ya big idiot?"
The thing stopping me is I have no money to speak of and rely on every shift to make it to the next, but if I don't try to be truly and sincerely  happy,  I am shortchanging myself .

 I know better than most how quickly life can be taken away and think it is time to make a change.

I read quite a bit. I'm no Einstein but also read the local papers and magazines. Are they really paying people to write that?

My problem is that although I have replaced kitchen pipes and fixed lawn mowers , I'm not too savvy with the whole "Zip file, compressed file and word document thing."

I need  to learn how to send out copies and certain specific blogs of mine to different places via the Internet. If I mailed all my blogs to a magazine it would be in a Manila envelope so thick they would call the bomb squad and send out the fancy  dancy robot to check for Anthrax.

I guess what I am saying is my ignorance and laziness is what's  keeping me from being happy...and THAT is pretty lame.

Have made the decision, it's now and it's time. It could go nowhere or it could change my life for the better.

Going out back with the pups one more time before turning in...to wake up for another double shift followed by another one on Monday.

I've done pretty well for myself. I haven't bought a mansion or sent my kids to Cancun for spring break but they have all turned out pretty well considering the past few years.

I'm thinking it's "ME time."

Til next  time...COTTON