USE THE FORCE TINK, USE THE FORCE!

O.K. so it has been awhile.
What can I say?
With CWO cutting out their "Spring into Summer" writing contest, I have no more topics to blog about. Boo Hoo.
I liked the writing contests as it gave me ideas of what to blog on. Not that I ever thought I would win any of the contests. I know my forte is not in writing - but - you just never know what might happen in the blogosphere. Miracles can and do happen.

So what have I been up to you might ask - if you really wanted to know - if you didn’t then why ask at all? Huh. O.k. I am in a mood and just wanting to do something with my time so I am just writing whatever comes into my head. As I was saying - please quit interrupting me. As I was saying - what have I been up to? Well how would you know if you didn’t ask. I can’t ask you now can I? So I guess I just better tell you myself - seeing you asked.

On a Friday about three weeks ago, I gave a type of resume to this place that I thought MIGHT be hiring someone for part time office work. Now, they never had an office person before but word of mouth said that they had been thinking of getting someone. So I acted on gossip I had heard and wrote a resume. Here is the resume - if you can call it that.

To whom it may concern,

I heard you MIGHT be thinking of hiring someone for office work. I would like to apply for the job.

I am 55 years old and have not worked out of my home in years.

Many many years ago I took a course at Red River Community College. At that time I took "Clerical Bookkeeping and Office machines". Many of the machines I learned to use are now obsolete. When I left school I could type 80 W.P.M. on a manual typewriter.

I worked in an office doing some bookkeeping, accounts receivable/payable, payroll, as well as other clerical duties. I love working with numbers and I love working on the computer. (I am self taught on the computer and own Windows XP.)

I cannot give you reference numbers, as most of the companies I once worked for are no longer in existence.

I can offer to work for you for free for the first month or so till I get to know your program and how you do things. If you like my performance at the end of that time you can elect to keep me on or let me go.

I am only looking for an office type job as I have bad legs and cannot stand for long periods of time. I would also like part time work as I don’t know if I could keep up the long hours.

To talk further on this matter you can call me at xxxxxxx or email me at xxxxxxxxx

All I can offer is my best. I would try to be a valued employee.

Well, surprise, surprise, I got a job.

They liked my resume. (Snark, snark) They said it sounded so "honest." I can’t believe I even wrote a resume like that - I learned how to do resumes both in school and at Red River but I did not put much thought into writing this resume at all. I guess I stumbled on a great piece of advice for resume writing - BE HONEST!

They took me on for two weeks to see if I would like it and if they would like me.
I handed in the resume on a Friday and started working on a Monday. Tomorrow will be a month I have been working.

I only work three days a week for approx. 4 hours each day. (Mon, Wed, Fri.) Some days I work 6 hours but only if there is something pressing that needs doing.

The first thing I do when I get there is enter the sales and credit card sales onto sheets of paper. Then I file the days accounts and warranties. Up till now I have been working on some books. I check each item in the book to see the sales history and jot down info. These books are all done for this time. We only will be doing them twice a year. At the end of the month I got all the invoices from the files and sent them out to customers. The other day I sorted through files and stored old files making room for newer ones. Each day I go to the bank to buy change and stop at the mailbox and pick up the mail. Sometimes I have to go to the other store to get them change or drop something off.

Basically I am a gopher or a pilot. I go for this and that or I pile it here and there.

At first I was soooo very nervous.

You don’t know nervous till you get to be my age and haven’t worked in an office for over 35 years. And in all my years, I have been very much a loner. So entering the "Work Force" was the scariest thing. It was like joining the Air Force or some other sort of "Force". I did not know if I was ready to use the "Force" yet.

As I sat at my desk Yoda’s little voice sounded in the distance. "Ready you are, worry do not. Trust the force Luke, use the force." Oooops, oh, where was I. Oh yes, I was very very nervous.

As I sat at my desk the first few days, my body went through the motions they were supposed to go through - I think, but my mind was waging a battle.

Part of me was praising God and thanking him for this remarkable miracle of a perfect job for me.

The other part of me was accusing me constantly for being inept and saying that I would screw up. It also kept reminding me of having to drive all that way each day and what about summer traffic and winter snow. Then I would argue that I didn’t really have to work, that I could make it, if I only cut out a few things. Then I would argue that I didn’t have to stay, I could quit if I wanted to. I wasn’t dependant on a job. Then another part was saying hey, give it a try, what have you got to lose. These and many other thoughts kept reeling in my mind.

When I would get home from work I was totally exhausted from all the thinking. I didn’t even want to talk to anyone yet everyone wanted to know how I liked it.

It is a miracle I even made it through the first week but having the day off in between really helped "The Force" begin to work in my life.

Now it is going to be four weeks and I feel a lot more at ease working and driving. I am even beginning to understand some of what I am doing.

Daily I ask Jesus "THE Force" to either help me to love the job or to hate it. He seems to be leaning towards getting me to like it a little at a time.

I am beginning to feel the "Force" getting stronger and stronger in me. Not that the "Force" gets stronger cause it already is the very strongest, but that I would get stronger at using the "Force" and recognizing the "Force" in and around my life.

For now I will leave you wanting more, more, more.

Till next time - May THE Force be with you.