When I started this blog I hoped that at some point I would figure out what it is I want to do "When I grow up." When I was younger my answer to this question was, "I want to be the next Julia Roberts." Once I got to high school my answer changed to, "Pediatrician." My first college biology course quickly helped me change my mind. I worked tediously in that class and still only walked away with a B+, I knew I did not want to spend the next 12 years of my life working that hard. Side note, thank you to all of the doctors out there who are willing to work that hard!
So, after I finished my first semester in college I changed my major to Mass Communications. A decision that I have second guessed since graduating. When I made my choice I wanted to be a sports broadcaster. I truthfully love sports and would have enjoyed this but it is such a tough field to get into. I spent a few months working as a producer at a local TV station and again quickly realized it wasn't for me. I wasn't willing to put in the time and horrible hours to get to where I wanted to be.
Somewhere along those lines I met and married my husband. We were living in Canon City, a small town with limited employment options. With that being said I was set to go back to school to get my masters in teaching. I though it was a career I would be well suited for. I had loved teaching swim lessons, working in classrooms and generally adored kiddos. I paid my $500 holding fee for the program and was just weeks away from starting the program when my husband was offered a position at MillerCoors. We decided it wasn't the best choice for me to continue with my plan to get my masters since my commute would now be much more tedious. We knew that if at some point I wanted to continue with that path that I would have several schools to choose from that would be closer to our current location.
Now that Tim had a stable job the motherhood bug bit. I wanted a baby. And, a baby is what we got. A beautiful baby girl, Karoline. Karoline is now almost 21 months old and we are due to have our second in just 8 weeks. Over these last few years I have struggled with the fact that I have absolutely no idea what I would "do" if I weren't a stay at home mom. I thought, well maybe I would like to be a nurse. Again, I dismissed this idea, the long and strange working hours are just not for me. Again, thank you to those who are in the medical field! I thought I would also enjoy doing photography on the side since it would be a job I could do as a stay at home mom. I definitely think it is something I would still enjoy as a hobby.
Then a light bulb went off. The job that I have enjoyed the most over the last 26 years (besides being a mom) was working at the golf course as a beverage cart attendant. I loved the environment, growing up on the golf course has made it so that I feel quite at home in that setting. The people you meet on a golf course are almost always happy and most often are from all over the place. It makes for a fun work environment.
I got to thinking, if I enjoy being on the golf course and I really did enjoy all of the classes I took for my degree then why not combine the two. So, should there be a day that I decide I would like to go back to work after our kids are in school then that's what I will do. I will search for a job at a golf course where I can help with the advertising and marketing, day to day operations and planning of tournaments (this would appease my creative side as well). Today I was wondering how hard a job like this would be to come across. I looked online at the website for the golf course that is closest to our home (keep in mind there are a handful that would be within an acceptable commuting distance) and there were plenty of seasonal openings for the golf course, the perfect way to get my foot in the door. I was immediately pleased that it appears that when I am ready that I will be able to find a way to make it happen. Even more exciting is the fact that the idea of having to do a bit of work to get the job I want doesn't turn me away. I suppose this means that I have finally stumbled upon the job that I would actually like to "do."
You can't begin to imagine what this revelation has done for me psychologically. I feel like now I can truly enjoy being a stay at home mom because it is a choice, not just an only option. I now know what it is that I would like to do for a career and am making the conscious decision to stay at home with our children so that we can raise them.
My job as a stay at home mom has been and is the most important job I will ever have. However, in knowing it is a choice I feel like I will be able to do a better job than I have been up until now. It's a shame that I had to come to this to feel validated in my profession as a mom but I am glad that I have come to it early enough to take advantage of my new desire to do my job to it's fullest. Just in time since the next little peanut will be here before we know it.
To all of the stay at home moms out there, our job is important, even on the days that you second guess yourself.
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