Another Reality
Wow, I totally fell into a whole other reality for a little while there. I still have to catch up on my friends list; sorry!! This is what happened. I had a fabulous epiphany that I could stop making the ornaments, pens, paperweights, and whatnot that used to be my bread and butter but no longer actually are the bulk of my income since my wall-hung pieces, which are more satisfying artistically for me, are selling well.
However, for a little insurance against hard times, I decided to look for a part time job that would pay just enough to give me some reliable monthly income. This plan was dependent on my finding a job I really liked and that didn't create stress in my life, and I have to say, it didn't take me long to figure out where to look. I have a whole non-art-related set of skills that I'm not using, involving women's health, health advocacy, health education. I was a midwife for thirteen years and also did gynecology at a clinic for a number of years; however now I don't want to do direct care, nor do I want the stress, nor do I want to go to school for, say, psychotherapy. But what I do want is human contact, the opportunity to educate about something meaningful, and a generally light and fun feeling to my work. So....
I went looking and got super lucky. I now work here! Wow. The pay is not great but its sufficient to my needs, and the actual job is fascinating. This place is way more than meets the eye. Its owned and run by a physician and an ex-social worker, and they do so much pioneering work in self-help and care for women in every part of life. For an idea of what I'm talking about, take a look at all these downloadable brochures just loaded with excellent information pertaining to sexuality.
So...I fell into a time warp of a combination of glee at getting the chance to dust off some of my women's health care skills, while also being totally overwhelmed by the incredible training process I've been going through. If you like the topic, go ahead and browse the website and you'll quickly see how working there involves knowing/understanding/remembering a LOT of detailed information about a LOT of stuff! Basically anyone can come in or call and ask pretty much anything about anything you see addressed on that website, and everyone on the premises is more or less qualified to answer the question!
Well, the dust is starting to settle now, and I'm feeling calmer. I have lots of homework to do, including reading a stack of books and watching a stack of DVD's so I both know what we carry, and have rounded out my own body of knowledge on the subject(s). Its exhausting, entertaining, hilarious...my friends are getting lots of mileage out of how many erotic movies I have on my training list (23!! Yikes!) and my job title (Pleasure Specialist! Double yikes!!) So that's where I've been.
And now for the homestead; its been snowing here in Madison, and today we dug out the chicken coop, the paths through the garden, the cars...but not the bikes. Poor things.
However, for a little insurance against hard times, I decided to look for a part time job that would pay just enough to give me some reliable monthly income. This plan was dependent on my finding a job I really liked and that didn't create stress in my life, and I have to say, it didn't take me long to figure out where to look. I have a whole non-art-related set of skills that I'm not using, involving women's health, health advocacy, health education. I was a midwife for thirteen years and also did gynecology at a clinic for a number of years; however now I don't want to do direct care, nor do I want the stress, nor do I want to go to school for, say, psychotherapy. But what I do want is human contact, the opportunity to educate about something meaningful, and a generally light and fun feeling to my work. So....
I went looking and got super lucky. I now work here! Wow. The pay is not great but its sufficient to my needs, and the actual job is fascinating. This place is way more than meets the eye. Its owned and run by a physician and an ex-social worker, and they do so much pioneering work in self-help and care for women in every part of life. For an idea of what I'm talking about, take a look at all these downloadable brochures just loaded with excellent information pertaining to sexuality.
So...I fell into a time warp of a combination of glee at getting the chance to dust off some of my women's health care skills, while also being totally overwhelmed by the incredible training process I've been going through. If you like the topic, go ahead and browse the website and you'll quickly see how working there involves knowing/understanding/remembering a LOT of detailed information about a LOT of stuff! Basically anyone can come in or call and ask pretty much anything about anything you see addressed on that website, and everyone on the premises is more or less qualified to answer the question!
Well, the dust is starting to settle now, and I'm feeling calmer. I have lots of homework to do, including reading a stack of books and watching a stack of DVD's so I both know what we carry, and have rounded out my own body of knowledge on the subject(s). Its exhausting, entertaining, hilarious...my friends are getting lots of mileage out of how many erotic movies I have on my training list (23!! Yikes!) and my job title (Pleasure Specialist! Double yikes!!) So that's where I've been.
And now for the homestead; its been snowing here in Madison, and today we dug out the chicken coop, the paths through the garden, the cars...but not the bikes. Poor things.