A New Life

I have always worked outside the home--my parents home and my own. My first job was delivering papers. That was a rather unsuccessful and short-lived partnership venture. Then, I began babysitting. I babysat many hours a week. That was followed by a job in a nursing home kitchen with a lot of cool college kids. You get the idea. Until this week, I had been working in the insurance industry. 27.5 years in the insurance industry. Most of those years were as a part-time employee working 29.5 hours in 3 days plus extra unpaid hours at home.

No one accepts part-time employees. Co-workers are unhappy that you aren't in the office every minute that they are. Managers can't get over the fact that you aren't there for a face to face meeting any time they want one. No one thinks about the fact that you aren't getting paid for as many hours or given as many benefits or are the only one at your level without a window seat because you are PART-TIME. No one has been around as long as you have to remember that you were a supervisor before you went down a level because, while I was allowed to become part-time when my youngest was born, I couldn't make that change and still supervise.

Being able to work part-time was a gift though, given to me by a man who was within a few years of retirement. I was able to spend more time with my kids. The days pass quickly and time never goes in reverse.

Last week I was given the ultimatum. You will work five days a week. No more starting early. No working from home for you. The only compromise I was able to get was that I could work two of the days from an office that would cut my commute, slightly. All of the work, all of the experience, all of the history in my head didn't matter. It couldn't outweigh the fact that I was part-time. I was also going to have to start working for the manager who has given me grief for the past few months. If I said up, she'd say down. There were also some uncomfortable situations that I was in because I didn't dare ask a question that might hurt her ego.

So now I have a new gift. The gift of a new life. At home. With my kids. Every day. I will have more time to listen and to teach. I won't be always yelling and exhausted. Maybe my teen will start her own work life because now I'll be able to give her a ride to a job until she gets her license. The cobwebs on the walls and the spaghetti sauce splashed on the refrigerator won't stay there until we clean because company is coming!

It is going to take a while to establish a new routine, but life is good!