do I swear? when the naval academy has new cadets...they call me!

Well I think I wanna throw up now. I hit a mystery button and my entire blog draft disappeared. Never to be seen again. ok. Pity party over. I, of course don't have notes so here is my brand new version of my brand new post. DAMMIT!
Sooo, last week I asked What You Thought Your First Job Said About You. I'm sure you pondered this for many self reflective hours. No? You mean you have other things to do? lol I understand. But you might be surprised to discover what it says about you. It might even help you change from career path to life path.

So this project is for me to tell you how this all came about for me. I'm going to spare us all the torture of going chronologically through my 24 year career an get right to some of the Big Pivotal Moments.
About 10 or 12 yrs ago I serendipitously got a job working in a small, successful salon in the 'burbs. I thought my friend had given the owner the heads up that I would be calling sooo when I did call (while I was working some place else) and he said "where are you calling from" I said " the parking lot". He paused and said " no where do work now" Really?! He still hired me. It seemed like a lucky break.
I started working right when they were planning a huge new salon, possibly even more. An empire, if you will. Dream come true!The whole team was motivated, smart and they valued my experience. Perfect. More check marks on my career path goal list!
I should tell you now. I'm the kind of person that LOVES energy, inventiveness, vision,and most importantly, follow through. I can, and have, been strung along by amazing team meetings and brainstorming sessions! I don't want to create and be the entire engine. I want to be a PART of something BIG! I'm a weirdo. I know.

So, jump ahead a year or two and we had a BIG Party for our BIG Salon in the BIG Mall and I soon realized I was fucked BIG Time.

Things weren't good from the beginning. I cried a lot. At the same time I was checking off career path goals left and right!!I did EVERYTHING I set out to do. The problem is when you want to be a part of someone else's BIG Picture, your fate is in their hands.So things that went down over those 4 yrs will be blog fodder for a long time ;-) Lets just say for now I'll tell you one story.

While walking to my car in the back of the BIG Mall parking lot I started to think- What if I got hit by a car. Just a little. Just enough to knock me down. I would HAVE to take a week or two off from work. YAY! No choice. It would be even better if it was one of the security trucks. Oh yea! Someone with good liability insurance. Maybe even a little settlement so I'd keep my mouth shut!! Seriously. At the time it seemed completely reasonable. I should ALSO tell you- In the hair biz you work strictly on commission. No base pay. No work paid benefits. But you get to be a full-time, fully taxed employee. Just the price you pay to be in a profession you love. So. anyway, I didn't get hit by a car. I didn't even take a dive and fake it. lol I did probably cry on my way home. I don't remember for sure because  I used to do that Alot!!
So a couple years after that it finally fell apart. It was on its way from day one.There was a lot of super secret stuff and alot of bullcrap and ALOT of stress!!
I chose to go with those same salon owners to their new, small salon in the 'burbs. It was a new beginning! My work stress level was way down! But, unfortunately so was my income. By about half. Too many changes for most of my clients and I was probably too fried anyway!
 I started off there so relaxed, relieved, positive, pumped and as usual the team cheerleader. Well I had a HUGE!!! identity crisis!! I never saw myself as anything other than a full time hairstylist/manager/ trainer. I did something I had not done in my ENTIRE PROFESSIONAL LIFE-I got a part time job. I was embarrassed... but eventually REALLY PROUD! I'm a scrambler. I get shit done. I can take care of myself. Because eventually I realized I love my chosen primary profession. But I am on a LIFE PATH now!!
ps You know I left out a LOT of details;-) They'll show up later because it wasn't THAT easy lol

*totally unrelated funny story-I LOVE being an Aunt! I've been fortunate to be involved and do alot for my sister and her 2 kids. BUT one of the aunt moments I'm most proud of was teaching these two little angels (15mos apart. what the hell was she thinking?!) to say, in sweet little baby voices "damn the luck!" hahaha AUNT VICTORY!!
thanks! see ya next week;-)