If I knew then what i know now…

Isnt there a 70s tune with those lyrics?

As a teen freshly graduated from high school, born to parents that did not go to college it was super important in their mind that i get a higher education. They wanted me to succeed at life, and in the 1970s college looked like the best path. And honestly i thought the same. I worked all kinds of crazy jobs to supplement the tuition my parents were paying for my college experience. I lived at home, commuting downtown to school, and work. I wanted to be an Artist. I loved my passionate pursuit of creativity but in those days my parents did not see the possibilities of Art as a livelihood…. so i pursued a social work degree, converted it to a sociology degree with minor in criminology…. which lead to a masters in public administration customized for the hospital system i was working for. Sounded great until the politics of the organization kicked in. Older administrators were insecure, convinced they would not give anyone else a break because freshly minted degree holders may outshine them. So i worked the help desk of the IT department. I learned alot about people, and alot about survival in a political atmosphere.

If i knew then what i have learned over a lifetime my career path would have been so different. I would have not tolerated passive aggressive bosses, or tasks that were repetitive and boring. Or those who treated me less than kind. I am grateful for all i learned throughout my career out there in the work world, and those few wonderful bosses that were mentors and coaches. But certainly i am not as thankful for the exotic personalities that flipped their personality on a dime. Or the public midday fling between the doc i worked for and an administrator. Or the woman that you knew whether or not you should talk with her based on how much makeup she wore. If it was spackled on with a palate knife beware… Wow, I think of the many personalities, and realize in all of that God was thickening my skin, and teaching me how to be diplomatic with everyone.

Little by little my creative life was stifled, and i was chasing my tale to work doing things that paid the bills, but did not satisfy the soul. But alas in 2010 the hospital i worked for went through a major restructuring, laying off large blocks of people as they systematically visited each department. At the time of my layoff it seemed like the end of the world. There was a lot of digging deep to try to figure out what to do, and how to survive. Our income went from a 6 figure income to a tad over $10K the next year. The kicker was that Steve’s job ended 3 months before mine, and no-one was responding to applications and calls seeking employment. But both of us dug deep, and began a soap company. And little miracles started showing up – big orders, requests to participate in art fairs, opportunities to put our products in stores. We both realized that our education and experience prepared us to run a business, and we loved what we were doing. And even more significant is we work well together.

A friend calls doing what you believe you are designed to do “Right Work”. That is doing what utilizes your skill set , and temperament. It brings satisfaction that your work is impacting others in a positive way. Sure its just a bar of soap but we feel that this is the “right work” we are called to. Often its that listening ear at an art show, or that encourager when someone seems down. And knowing we survived a major economic setback and watched the Lord bring us through and open doors we can say to others they are going to be ok and they will make it too.

When we went through the deep financial waters of 2010 we realized life could be more simple and we did not require all the materialism, big vacations, fancy this and fancy that. We returned to our roots and began a big garden, started canning the bounty, and simplified life. It is a peaceful decision that came after many years of doing something to just bring home income. God is providing for us, and we need never question that. Thank you for being a cheerleader, supporter, friend.