What I could have been - San Bernardino, CA - May 2008

I need to start by saying I really love my job, but a few nights ago at dinner, as I sat by myself in a gigantic booth that would seat six, it occurred to me that I might have been good at several lines of work that I never even considered.

Upon my arrival at about 5:45pm I was seated at my luxurious booth and I noticed I was directly across from the sweetest little old couple. They smiled at me as I sat down and I smiled back thinking, ‘I love old people!’ This got me to thinking. I really could have been a retirement community activities coordinator! I really like old people. I used to play scrabble with a group of ladies all over the age of 75 and LOVED it! I’m not by any means calling these women old. I wouldn’t dare put it past these crazy cats (Mabel especially!) to learn how to use a computer, become a wiz at e-mail, join Face book, invite me to be their friend, (notice I am not saying ask me I they can be my friend), discover that I have this blog, and read it. If upon reading, they find their name and the word ‘old’, or any other seniorly affiliated reference; they will personally come to my house and spank my behind! But seriously, I would have loved to do something like that. This little old couple was celebrating an anniversary and by the time I was ordering my meal they had finished their shared cheese cake with strawberry topping and paid the check with a gift certificate from their grandchildren. He was helping her to her walker and they were shuffling out the door by six o’clock. SO CUTE!!!

I also think I could have been a food critique or a restaurant reviewer! My husband sometimes gives me a hard time for being so critical when we are eating out, but really, if I am spending $30 to $50 on a dinner out, I don’t think it is too much to ask for someone to have reasonably good service and good food. I was taken to my table by the manager and I literally waited eight min. for someone to take my drink order and he only took it because I stopped him and asked him to take my drink order! Another reason that it occurred to me last night that I could be a restaurant reviewer is because I was eating by myself. When I was flying from Denver, CO to Onterio, CA, they played the movie Ratatui (Yippee!) and the food critique always ate by himself. Granted, I generally don’t have his sour puss face and grumpy disposition, but sometimes I am that critical, especially when they forget the ranch dressing for my stake fries that I asked for three times.

Okay, moving on. For the last couple of years, I have been confident that I could be an M-1 medical student. I loved helping my husband study by making up cheers for pharmacology drugs…

“Dantrrolene it makes no heat,
but for malignant Hypothermia it can’t be beat!”

and

“Doctor makes the call
to use Propaphal.
From head to feat,
It will make you sleep.”

I’d like to point out that I don’t think I could have successfully made it through medical school, it is way too hard! Also, I am not that patient nor am I a very good test taker, but I really think I would have made a really great first year medical student, except for Gross. I thought it was really interesting exploring the bones in the bone box that resided in my dining room for about 4 months, but the formaldehyde smell and actual touching of a dead body is way more then I could handle.

The next one really didn’t have anything to do with my dinner last night, but while thinking about possible careers this one occurred to me.

Having just recently watched Nancy Drew a couple of weeks earlier, (Loved it!) and because of the fact that I have above average hearing, my next possible career choice would definitely have to be a detective or a gossip columnist, both of which I think would require the same sort of skill set. Now some people, like my husband, might say that this is not a skill, it’s just being nosey, but I’m not too sure. You make the call.

Oh well, all of this really is irrelevant, I am what I am, a technical writer for a fortune 300 company, Funny, it really is EXACTLY what I wanted to be when I graduated from college which really is pretty cool. One day I would like to add the title of “Mom” to my resume…

Hummm, it’s funny, now that I think about it, all of those skills I mentioned above, working with people, knowing the “in’s” and “out’s” of food, medical skills, having above average hearing and being a super detective, the skills that would have contributed to the above careers I think are really all requirements for being a mom. Interesting…

Till Next Time,
Bon Voyage