This morning I am proud to be a geek! Never thought that would be something I would say. I gave up going out on a Friday night to get up at the crack of dawn on a Saturday that I don’t have my boys, to go to school. Yup, I’m a geek. What on earth is happening to me lately?
I would like to thank my fellow geek friend for this. Supermom, thanks for keeping on me even when I was pushing back. It is cool to be a geek nowadays right? Oh well, like I said I never have done what I’m supposed to, just ask my mother.
So the truth of the matter is I have been busting my butt for 15 years but don’t have any real skills. The last paid job I had was working in a bank where I met my husband. I actually quit that job the day after my wedding because of pregnancy complications. I did go back to college for a little bit after having my first son, but we got transferred out of state where I lived just long enough to get pregnant, have another baby, pack a house and move again. There I was busy with the two boys and got involved in advocating for their disability and volunteering at the school. Once they both went to school I started volunteering for a victim service organization and found my passion. Of course, then it was time to move again. This move was bitter sweet because I was doing something I loved but we had the opportunity to move home which I had wanted for so long.
Once we moved home, I started researching how I could get involved in similar work here. That was about the time my world got turned upside down. My whole life has changed and my idea of where my future lies has done a 180. So, here I am. What do I want to be when I grow up?
Well, it’s just not that easy anymore. I know exactly what I want to do. It’s getting someone to let me do it. I know what kind of person I am. I know I am hardworking, smart, organized, trustworthy, and dependable for starters. I just don’t have that all important college degree and no real work experience. With the economy being what it is, it’s a little hard to convince someone they should take a chance on me when they’ve got kids coming out of school with master’s degrees, taking jobs way below their level just to get into a company.
Okay, so done with the whining. I don’t feel cheated or anything, just trying to set up how I got here. I did actually find someone in August willing to take a chance on me, and I am working a part-time retail job right now. It’s not what I want to do with the rest of my life, but I now get out of the house, my co-workers are wonderful, and its work experience.
I am working on writing my resume, and in February I got certified as a Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Counselor/Advocate and am volunteering at local hospitals and a local rape crisis center. I love volunteering but my goal is to get a job doing this someday and build a career as a Victim Advocate.
So, now about being a geek. I need skills, desperately. My youngest son programs everything in my life. My cell phone, computer, iPod, cable, even the coffee pot. In third grade, he had to do a poster project and did a PowerPoint presentation instead. I couldn’t help him with this because I have no idea how to use PowerPoint. I have cheated so far because anytime I have had to use any of those tools; I have my kids do my homework.
This is where Supermom stepped in and registered me for Geek Girl Boot Camp, which I will attend with her ALL day today. She’s picking me up at 7AM folks. I am taking a class on Excel, PowerPoint, QuickBooks, and Word. I am okay with Word but the girls at VSC can tell you the anxiety I used to have over Mail merge. One of the advocates took pity on me one day and printed me up some labels to keep. I will never forget that! So, I am taking the class.
I am looking forward to it, which makes me look like an even bigger geek. I think I am getting a t-shirt too, which I will be proudly wearing. One more step for me. I am going to keep moving forward. I would like to express just how much all of the support I have gotten from everyone this last year means to me. I wouldn’t be “Geeking” it up today without you!
Wish me luck, or should I say wish the instructors luck???
Check out Geek Girl by clicking the logo above.
