Goodbye, Retirement!

Announcement! Now I am not only a Metal Mommy, but a Hot Mama. Before you start thinking, "man, this girl is totally full of herself!" realize I'm talking about the fact that I am a newly employed person at the fancy-schmancy boutique store called Hot Mama! Oh wait, not just an employee...but a stylist!! How cool is that??

And how did this all come to be, you are wondering? Well, I'll tell you. After 2 years of trying to break into talk radio and dabbling in other artsy things I started to realize that kind of thing is just not going to happen on my time line. Being home during the school year all day long without the kids, I needed some new motivation. And when it comes right down to it, we could use the extra money! Silpada is a wonderful thing and I make great money at it...but any direct sales business is never a sure thing, never on a schedule. We needed the extra we could count on. Like everyone else in the country right now, we're feeling the pinch. (and our kids aren't getting any younger...which means they are needing more and more of our money!)

So now I am out of retirement. I have to tell you, the idea of this didn't come easy. When I really decided it was time to start checking Craig's List and the classifieds for jobs I just got more and more depressed. How can a Metal Mommy fit into the work world after she's been out of it so long? A Metal Mommy with years of life experience behind her--hey, one never knows what kinds of useful skills singing in a rock band can produce--but not a lot that looks good on paper. Certainly not in the--dare I say it--corporate world. It's embarrassing to admit, but I certainly got myself into a mourning period--not so embarrassing to admit to realizing it's a new chapter in life and means the children really are growing up (sniff!)--but I am ashamed to admit that darn it all, I just didn't want to work. Most people in this world have to work day in and day out at a job they may not love, but it pays the bills. What makes me any different? Absolutely nothing, but I still had to have a pity party about it for a day or so. Then I brushed myself off and realized that at least I could start by hitting places that I would find fun places to be, and go from there. I let the ads hiring secretaries in mortgage offices glide right down the computer screen, hoping it wasn't going to come to that.

My first stop was Patina. I am a big fan of this place. My heart literally skips a beat when I walk in there, it is chock-full of lovely little tchotchkes that I want to call my own. And jewelry. And purses. And things that smell good. A woman's paradise, really. I knew any retail job wouldn't pay much, but I figured I could start there and try to see if eventually there was a possibility to move up into other things...such as display, merchandising, that sort of thing. When I walked into the store to meet the manager I felt positively ancient, as she was about half my age. We set up an interview for the next day and my spirits did lift a bit as I arrived then to see a woman who could share my birth year behind the counter. Whew. The interview went very well and I was offered a job on the spot. I have to say I was surprised to find myself feeling excited as I left. I went in worrying I would feel the growing dread of retail drudgery, but instead I felt inspired. And let's face it, it was just nice to be wanted.

I didn't accept the position right away because I knew I wanted to stop into Hot Mama on my way home and see if they were hiring. I've only been in this store a few times but I really love everything about it. I could point to any article of clothing in there and want it. Or purse. Or shoe. (okay, maybe not the maternity clothes they sell...please not those!) They have a little space set up in the middle of the store that is a play area for bored kids who are dragged to the store with their mommies. Just like the name implies, it totally caters to moms. To make a long story short I eventually got an interview with the manager there. Although I had left Patina feeling pretty good, I left Hot Mama knowing this was the place for me. I can tell it will be an exciting company to work for--and darn if I have to wear some of the clothes as a stylist. ! The hardest part about being there will be not spending my entire paycheck!!!

Since I'll be on the schedule in October, I will cherish this last week of September. This last time period of scheduling errands and coffees with friends or pap smears with my doc any time I please. Of course I'm only working part time so it's not like I won't still have some days, but it is definitely the end of an era for me. And the beginning of a new one!