~That Light at the End of the Tunnel May NOT be that of an Oncoming Train~

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There have been times (lots) in my life when I have been accused of making things harder than they need to be. Unfortunately, it would seem my brain doesn't have enough to do, so it makes busy work for itself. That's the only excuse I can think of to explain why, after 34 years, I still haven't learned from my mistakes in this regard.

I have been looking to get out of my present job at the local college. It started out as a five month contract with me acting as lowly Data Entry Clerk covering the overflow of student loan applications. That was 27 months ago. I'm now a Financial Aid Officer, but in an Appendix D situation. This basically means I have no benefits, no vacation and my job security is provided to me in four-week blocks. The stress levels are tremendous and the documentation we must provide on how we spend every minute of every working day is militant. (If I'd wanted to be that regimented, I'd have enlisted in the Army.)

So, in order to find employment more suited to my personality and skillset, I began posting my resume online and contacted the temp agency that originally placed me where I now sit. I also scan the Classified in the paper but, as we all know, only 25% or so of the actual number of jobs that exist make the paper.

I've been actively networking for more than a year, with little to show for it. Maybe I skipped a chapter in the networking manual, because I can't get it to work.

Until last night.

We were gathered at The Boy's mother's house, chatting and eating with visiting relatives in the Dutch oven that is her house. My neice was sitting two down from me, talking about one of her friends, Katie, with her Mom and scarfing down my homemade nacho dip. It would seem that Katie's mother has applied to work at the local casino, since she's no longer finding her present work very rewarding. Her present work is at a video production company. Aieeee! My ears perked up, and I interrupted her before I could stop myself.

"What? Blankety-Blank Productions? I've been handing in resumes there for the past three years!"

Jenn, with all the seriousness a 12-year old could muster, told me that if I liked, she would have a word with Katie's mother, possibly leading to an interview. I was beside myself. I still am, even the next morning. However, this time I'm going to follow a hard and fast rule I set last time this sort of thing happened: I'm not blabbing it to all and sundry until something happens.

I'm ready to take a pay cut to do something that I love and that does not involve taking verbal abuse from a bunch of snotty-nosed teenage punks with no manners or sense of personal responsibility. I also think I could really be good at directing, script writing, scouting, client meetings, tape editing, etc. We'll see. I just want to get my foot in the door and show them what I can do.

"Buried deep within each of us is a spark of greatness, a spark than can be fanned into flames of passion and achievement. That spark is not outside of you it is born deep within you."

-- James A. Ray