Yesterday Laura and I went to a local store called World Gourmet to enjoy their “tasting party” that they have every Saturday from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.  When we walked in the door, I noticed a “Help Needed” sign on the door.  I found that interesting, since I’ve sort of been looking for a part-time job.  I texted Michael that this store was looking for help, and he texted back that he thought it would be fine for me to inquire about it.  He has been talking for a while about getting a second job in order to help pay off the last of our debt more quickly, and I’ve argued that he doesn’t need to be gone from home any more.  Michael agreed that it was fine with him if I wanted to get a job while he stayed home with the kids, but then it was up to me to actually look for that job, and to find a place that needs help in the evenings and weekends.  So, here was a sign, literally, and I decided to at least see what they were looking for.  I was amazed at how nervous I was at the prospect of asking for work.  It’s harder than I thought it would be.

The co-owner of the store was very kind, but I couldn’t help but feel a bit unqualified when he asked me, “Do you have any experience in this line of work?”  I have absolutely NO retail experience.  None.  I’ve never operated a cash register.  I’ve only ever had desk jobs.  But the owner still handed me an application and said it would be fine for me to fill that out.

I went home with my application in hand, wondering what to do.  Michael and I talked about the various pros and cons, and finally decided I should at least turn in an application.  So I filled it out, and took it back to the store a little after 5 p.m. that same day.  I kept shaking my head, wondering what made me think these people wanted to hire a pregnant lady with no retail experience.

A few hours later,  I wasn’t near my phone, and didn’t rush to answer it when it rang, forgetting that it might be important.  A half hour later I finally remembered to check my messages, and there was a phone call from the man I had met earlier that day at World Gourmet.  I called him back, and he explained that he was very happy with my application, and he’d like to offer me a job.  I was completely amazed.  I explained that one piece of information I hadn’t yet shared with him is that I’m pregnant, and I didn’t know if he wanted to hire someone who would not be able to work after December.  He said that was fine, as long as I felt comfortable working while pregnant.  After we worked that out, he again offered me the job, and this time I accepted.

On my application I had indicated that I was available “immediately”, and I guess they took me literally, because I was put on the schedule for today.  So, one morning I woke up without a job, and the next morning I woke up with a job.

My first day of work went really well.  I did stuff that I was able to do with minimal instruction, such as straightening shelves, washing dishes and cleaning surfaces.  I’m eager to learn the other things, such as running the cash register, cutting cheeses from the deli, or waiting on people in the little cafe. But all in all, if my job ends up being just “grunt work”, I can handle that.  If nothing else, it’s a great workout!  I’ve been needing more exercise, and this job is definitely good exercise.

The children are terribly curious about my job.  They’ve never experienced me with an outside job.

So far, this is a fun adventure so far… at the end of Day One.  We’ll see how it goes.