What's in a Name?

My tax return states homemaker as my occupation.

One time I said I was a housewife (many years ago) and I was met by a horrified stare and the comment, "Don't ever say that! It's so degrading!" So I never said it again.

I had a friend who put d.g. as her occupation. I asked her what that meant, and she said domestic goddess. I thought that was pretty good, but it sure didn't and doesn't fit me. I'm no goddess of domesticity, believe me. That friend's home was sparkling - not a term anyone will say about mine. Cozy, friendly, neat, tidy--I hope some of those phrases might come to mind, but no one will say "sparkling". No one with two semi-functioning eyes in their head, that is.

Stay at home mom (SAHM) was my favorite occupation. I loved that phase of life. Now my kids are out of the home and I wonder about the phrase stay at home grandma--but to me that implies that I am their primary caretaker. Primary adorer, yes, but not primary caretaker.

I recently saw the option home manager as an occupation, and I immediately adopted it. What a great description!

All this is to say that for the past 30 years, I have been unemployed outside the home, and these are some ways of describing what I've done. I did get training as a travel agent, and did that for a couple of years for my husband's business, pro bono.

Life changes. I just got a job. At a quilt store, just on Tuesdays, with an occasional Saturday thrown in. Here's how it happened:

There's a quilt store pretty close to my house. Whenever I've gone in there over the last few months, there has been a sign on the door, "part-time help wanted". Every time I went I wondered how part time would it be? because I really help my parents a lot, and I do keep myself busy. Then I would say to myself, if the sign is still up the next time I come here, I'll ask. I bet there have been a dozen times I've walked right in and said those same things to myself while looking at that sign.

About 10 days ago I was in the store and was chatting with the two people working there while I made my purchase. I told them that help wanted sign had been up for a long time. They said yes, there have been several applications, but no one hired. Then I asked how part-time would it be? They said one day a week if that's all you want. More if you want. And it's a whole day, no split shifts over the week. I told them my "if it's here next time I come I'm going to apply" story. They said fill out an application! So they got me one. I went home and was all by myself and thought, "why not?"

I filled out the application. Very sparsely, I might add--as I said, my last paying job was thirty years ago.  I took it right back that afternoon and left it. What could it hurt? I didn't even tell Ray, because it all seemed so unlikely. Imagine my surprise the next day when I was called to come in for an interview. (Then I told Ray.)

So last Wednesday I met with the store manager. We had a nice chatty interview. Then on Thursday she called and asked if I could come in and talk with the store owner on Friday. I could and I did. It was a very brief interview ending with them saying, "thanks for coming in." Nothing else. I told Ray that I noticed that the part-time help wanted sign was off the door when I walked in the store for the interview. Maybe they already hired someone. But then why would they call me to come in? He said, "it's because they want to hire you". But I wasn't so sure.

Yesterday I got the call: could I start work on Tuesday?

I have to say, it's pretty exciting for me to have actually made myself go through that whole process. And it feels good to be wanted. Life experience paid off. Sewing since I was ten, and quilting for the past 20 years has added value to my life. Now in a new and different way.