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Posts Tagged ‘Appreciation’

Celebrating My Secretary Self

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , on April 24, 2013| 7 Comments »

Today is Administrative Professionals Day. Even after all these years, not to mention a significant name change from “Secretary’s Day,” this particular day still feels like MINE.

I began my secretarial career at the age of 15 when my English teacher chose me as her office assistant. Soon, the entire English Department was remarking favorably about my secretarial skills, and I landed my first part-time typing job the summer I turned 16. My skills increased and my career continued into corporate positions with up to 11 bosses simultaneously. At 29, with the help of an SBA loan, I opened my own Secretarial Services company, Happy Fingers. In 1984, mine was the first of its kind in Charleston to offer “computerized typing” aka word processing. Happy Fingers has continued for 29 years, and I still love it.

I acknowledge there’s a huge difference between being someone’s secretary and owning a secretarial service company. It became crystal clear my first year in business as I observed a huge increase in the level of respect I received from my clients versus what I had received from my bosses. I was still the same person, doing basically the same things, but I was no longer a mere secretary; I had become a business owner. It was a paradigm shift that changed forever the way I saw myself.

Over the decades I have grown in both ability and confidence. I expanded into bookkeeping and payroll and received certification as a Professional Résumé Writer. Assisting people with their job searches is actually what led me to become certified as a Life Coach, and that’s why I started writing a blog. My English teacher would be proud!

In 2013, I am not only grateful for my skills but for my 1984 self who was willing to take a big risk. My husband treated me to lunch yesterday, a tradition that started when I was his secretary in the late ‘70s. We reminisced about those early days, talked about the many technological changes, and celebrated the myriad of good choices that led us to an outdoor lunch in a beautiful setting.

This is my day to LOVE the Secretary part of me: the organizer, the detail person, the one who can do four things at once and do them all with amazing efficiency. Happy Secretary’s Day!

1974 Picture from PSC

From the 1974 Nebraska Public Service Commission Annual Report – This was my first Professional Secretarial Position – I was 19

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A Time to Heal

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 18, 2013| 15 Comments »

I was feeling a little confused at the cottage this morning. I’ve been so unmotivated, so tired, so content to just sit and stare. That’s just not me. And, yet, it has been me for a while now. Where is my energy? Where is my inspiration? After all, it’s Dannie who’s going through radiation therapy. It’s normal for him to feel tired and listless right now, not me. So what gives?

I was directing my questions to The Universe and fully anticipating some enlightening answer when I heard a THUMP. Something had hit the glass of the French door. I looked out to see a wren lying dazed on the front deck. I swooped up the tiny creature just before my cat pounced on it. I shooed the cat away and took the bird inside.

House Wren

Such a little creature and perfect in every way.

I sat in my rocking chair, cuddling the delicate thing in my hands. I looked at its beauty, watched it breathe, and wondered what would become of it. I decided that for the moment, it didn’t matter. I would simply hold it, rock in the chair, and appreciate the rare gift of holding a tiny bird in my hands.

After a while, it squirmed a little and then hopped onto my shoulder. From there, it hopped to my knee and then flew toward the window. I gently picked it up, opened the door, and threw it high into the air. I watched until it flew out of sight.

Back in the cottage, I thanked the Universe for such an amazing experience. And then I heard the message, “You are like that little bird, a bit dazed but basically okay. I will hold you safe in my hands until you are ready to fly again. Just rest here for a while and let me enjoy the miracle that is you.”

Okay … who could argue with that?

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Re-Entry Can Be Bumpy

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , on March 31, 2013| 3 Comments »

Photo of lion sleeping on top of a 4x4

The Symbol of My Vacation (Photo from the San Diego Safari Park, March 2013)

The days after a great vacation can be pretty confusing for me. There’s the jet lag and the changes in temperature and terrain. Most of all, though, I find it difficult to prioritize and to get up to speed. For an entire week, I totally embraced LAZY, coming and going as I pleased, doing whatever interested me in the moment. Laid back. Relaxed. Non-productive. Ahhhhh … California!

I’ve been kicking up my heels in a sunny pasture for several days, and now there’s talk of a harness and plow. Really? Uh, I don’t think so! And so my rebellious nature begins to plot and plan for full RETIREMENT! Endless green pastures! No more plow! Oh, it would be heavenly!

Wouldn’t it?

I’m glad I know the answer. For me, there is no such thing as endless play. In order to really enjoy my time off, it needs to be exactly that: “time off.” It is actually the intensity of my life, of my work, that makes my play so very sweet!

So, today, as I stare down the mountains of mail, methodically work my way through pages of to-do’s, and once again juggle a demanding schedule, I do so with a smile on my face.

Why?

  1. Because I love my life and the work I do (after all, I have followed my soul’s passion for nearly three decades!)
  2. Because I have loads of great memories from this past week (more on that in my next blog), and
  3. Because I have another trip planned for July!

Life is oh, so good and FULL . . . pasture, harness, and all!

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A Dozen Random Notes on a Long Marriage

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on February 14, 2013| 10 Comments »

B&D Photo

Barbie & Dannie – Taken at Shell-Fish’s Wedding in 2012

Today is our 32nd wedding anniversary. Very romantic, getting married on Valentine’s Day, right? Would you like to hear the proposal?

Barbie: “If we really want to buy this house, we’ll have a lot better chance of getting a mortgage approved if we’re married.”

Dannie: “You’re right. So, do you want to get married next Saturday? We could just run down to Virginia and do it all in the same day.”

Barbie: “Okay. That works. Then we can apply for the loan on Monday.”

It wasn’t until a day later that we realized “next Saturday” was Valentine’s Day.

Here are some other things you may not know about us:

1. When we met in February of 1977, we didn’t like each other at all. He was one of my bosses at the Nebraska Public Service Commission. Behind each others backs, I called him “Mr. Military” and he tried to get me fired.

2. By August that same year, everything had changed. We embarked on our first road trip, from Nebraska to the East Coast. Even after 60+ hours of driving, we never ran out of things to talk about. And we still haven’t.

Dannie 1977

From our 1977 Road Trip. This is Dannie at the Air and Space Museum standing beside an original Norman Rockwell painting.

3. We make up jokes about everything. Maybe it’s shared punch lines that keep us together. (“You never count your checkers while you’re sittin’ on the litter … there’ll be time enough for countin’ when the poopin’s done.” Five points if you can name that song!) We have thousands of insider jokes. I just love that about us.

4. When we lived together in Lincoln, we walked to work (just over a mile), and we still regularly love taking long walks together year round.

5. We’ve always had clearly defined chores. Currently he makes the bed, does the laundry, and takes out the garbage. I cook, manage the finances, and clean (with the twice-a-month assistance of Connie).

6. When Britain was young, we took turns every other day in the primary care giver/helper roles. We called it “Being on the Hook.” As a toddler, when Britain needed something, his first question was always, “You on hook, Ma?”

7. Behind the wheel, he is the one who drives too slowly. I have a lead foot.

8. He snores (sometimes), and so do I (sometimes).

9. When I worked for Columbia Gas, Dannie packed my lunch every day for four years and always included a love note.

10. We do our grocery shopping together, and he always complains about how long it takes me to read the labels.

11. Most TV watching we do together. Over the years our favorite shows have included MASH, 30 Something, LA Law, Friends, Mad About You, Desperate Housewives, Modern Family, and Parenthood.

12. He took all the fun out of Nebraska Football by insisting that it was NOT “just a game.” This is one of two topics we have agreed to NEVER discuss again.

Happy Anniversary, Dannie! Way back when, everyone said it wouldn’t work … hasn’t it been fun proving them wrong?!?

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