And the wind blows

The wind is blowing me into a new direction. Again? Again.

My private life has been steady.

My health has been more or less steady.

My career and work situation is changing and changing and changing.

And so… I am on my way to start my 4th job in 2 years. I am not proud of it, the numbers look awful, but they also do something else. They tell the story of a lost person. A woman who was lost on her way after shoulder surgery and the complications that arose while healing. Of course, I am speaking about myself.

Surgery was in March 2021. In June I was told that I could not go back to my job at the nursery and I’ve been searching for something ever since. I was never without a job. Went from one to the next without any breaks… And yet… I went from the nursery to a centre for pregnant teens and teen moms; from there I went to a service that accompanied parents who were not allowed to see their children unsupervised (I was the supervisor); then I went to a place where kids came after school and I was responsible for their homework. And now, I’ve got a teaching job. A real teaching job in preschool or kindergarten. I don’t know how it is called in proper English. (It’s with small children from 3 to 4. Ja, that small)

And I got really lucky. The applications are only open for 3 days and the jobs are very limited. A colleague at my current job tried out too and wasn’t chosen. She asked why and they replied that there are between 12 and 16 jobs available and they had more than 100 applications. On the forms we had to fill out there was nothing that could make one stand out, apart from the working experience. I guess, since I began working in 2006, I have some experience… Anyway… All this to say… I got lucky to score one of these very rare jobs and I am not taking it for granted. I’ll work for the ministry of education now, which means that my job is safe (always), my pay is safe and there are many perks in the long run (even if my initial pay is a bit less than what I am earning now).

Either way, be it as it may… I deserve this and I could see myself finally settling down in this job. I’ll be back working with small kids – something that I love and miss. It’s a chance for me, something very special.

It all happened very fast (in a matter of not even two weeks – from filing my application to receiving a positive reply), but it seems as if I am making a habit of falling from one job into the next without much effort.

All that said, yes, I have a guilty conscience to leave my job. Even more so because it is the second time in two years that I am leaving the same firm. But my bosses are great and they understand that I can’t miss out on this opportunity. Truth be told, when I left the first time, I did not feel seen. This time around, I know that they appreciate my work and my ethics and that I get the job done. Always. I am reliable, think ahead and remember details. It’s quite weird and flattering : when I told my co-workers that I would be leaving in August, they all reacted the same (without exception): “Cathy No. You can’t leave, there is no one to take your place and no one who knows everything like you do.” Keep in mind, I was only there for ten/eleven months. How come they got to rely on me that badly and when did I take all those responsibilities? It’s just – I think it is a slow process and I am someone who takes over and jumps in and offers help. I am not the creative type and I am not the one who offers this and that activity. But I am there to talk and to laugh and I am there to remember the details and the organisation… Anyway, I am not special. But the reaction of my colleagues got to me. It is flattering, in a way.

The wind is blowing me up towards the north east side of the country. The journey to work will be 3 times as long. But it will be worth it.

I’ll probably keep you posted about any further developments.

Fingers crossed,

Cathy