I’ve found that I often need a distraction from the monotony of my daily routine. Something to break things up. I started taking courses from on online learning management system to improve and upgrade my work skills. I’ve been going to the gym doing strength training to keep myself physically fit not only for my own health but to be able to care for mom and to transfer her to and from her wheelchair. I’ve also been writing more and that has been very therapeutic. One of my neighbors recently approached me if I could teach their spouse English and I was more than thrilled. With being mom and dad’s primary caregiver, committing to any type of employment is challenging so having the opportunity to work from home is ideal. I’ve also been reading more and devoting more time to build myself spiritually because Lord knows I need the help. When I go shopping, I need to stay focused and stick to my list and mission at hand, otherwise if I see anything else that catches my eye (like anything shiny or leopard print) then I’m immediately off track!
I can reflect back at the type of distractions I would seek out when I was getting over a bad relationship. That would consist of alcohol, retail therapy, changing my hairstyle and color, getting my nails done, and going out to the bars and dancing the night away like I was Jlo. I had a bar that I frequented often, and I had my own bench upstairs that I’d like to think was reserved for me so that space became by dancing platform. I didn’t have to think about anything just dance and be free. Working was also a distraction for me and there was a time in Colorado where I worked three jobs at once. I worked at a T-shirt shop full time, I worked part time at the Coffee/Ice cream shop next door, and part time at a Day Spa as the Front Desk Receptionist. I basically worked myself to death because I needed to take my mind off how sad and unfulfilled, I was feeling. After getting burned out with my jobs, a friend approached me about a position that was open with a Property Management company she worked for in the Homeowner Relations department. I had never worked in Property Management, but I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to have a real job with benefits and more pay so I decided to go out on a limb, and I applied and interviewed for the position. To my amazement, I got the job. I learned all the different aspects of Property Management, Short- Term and Long-Term Reservations, Housekeeping, Maintenance, and Front Desk. I really enjoyed my job and thrived in learning the different departments.
One of my favorite memories is when the General Manager took all the employees to a snowmobile tour. It was the first time I had ever driven a snowmobile. I had no idea what I was doing but we had a blast! This same General Manager at the end of every day would always say “thank you so much” to everyone. I always appreciated the fact that he always took the time to say that his employees. There is another memory I will never forget and that was when the General Manager called an emergency all staff meeting, and we were all informed that our office had been bought out by a third-party company and we were all going to be laid off. In my mind, I was already thinking about going back to the t-shirt shop to see if I could have my job back. The next thing I know, the General Manager and the new owners took myself and my friend aside and explained that we could keep our jobs and hold the same positions with the new company. I was in complete shock and so grateful beyond words. I continued to work for this company for the following three years and was able to transfer to their office that was closer to my apartment. The company was owned by a father and son, and they proved to be not only one of the best bosses but genuinely good people. I continued in the same field of Property Management but had a more involved role in Homeowner Relations and Long-Term Reservations.
The son who was my immediate boss took on the challenge of teaching me how to drive stick shift. The previous company had these older Toyota trucks so he would let me take those out to do property inspections and I learned how to drive them at the same time. Those were honestly easier for me to learn with than the newer vehicles. I remember this one occasion he had just bought a new sports car I think it was a Miata or something like that and he needed to go to Keystone to check out a property and told me to drive him. Man was I nervous because it was a brand-new car, and I wasn’t familiar with it. I stalled out multiple times, but I eventually got the hang of it and didn’t kill us both in the process. The whole time I was wishing it was one of the older beat-up Toyota trucks. The other owner his father would often bring us treats from Denver where he lived. Since we didn’t have a lot of fast-food options in Summit County at the time, he would often bring us Chick Fil A, donuts, and any of our favorites that we were craving. His wife was just a sweetheart and would always bring decorations for the office and especially for the holidays. She would always go all out for Christmas. She had a knack for making everyone feel special and appreciated.
I resigned from my position there in 2006 and I began working for the Summit County Sheriff’s Office. In December 2007, I had my surgeries to remove a brain tumor. I wasn’t aware at the time, but I was told that the owner (the father) and his wife came to see me in the hospital. I was later informed by my parents that they offered to take care of me when I got out of the hospital. I unfortunately didn’t get the chance to see them or talk to them at that time. I never had the opportunity to see them again after that. Life happened and time went on and I lost touch with them. It wasn’t until the beginning of 2020 that the owner (the father) and I reconnected on Facebook, and I learned that his wife suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease. He was such a sweet soul, and he was her primary caregiver for quite some time before she was placed in a nursing home. It wasn’t until earlier this year in February that I learned of his passing. My heart was broken when I found out. He was a strong man of God, and he had a heart of gold. I will treasure the talks we had when I worked for him and the advice and encouragement, he would often give me. I don’t know if I ever told him, but I adopted them as my other parents.
A distraction can come in many forms both good and bad. In my examples above, I used those distractions to fill the void and emptiness I felt. The interesting thing is that they ended up revealing to me that I was placing too much importance on people and things that weren’t of any value at all. Don’t get me wrong, I still change my hairstyle, hair color, get my nails done, but it’s because I feel like it. I haven’t been out dancing in years, but I can still bust a move even better than I did back then! As I mentioned in a previous post, my self-worth was measured by if I was in a relationship. When the lightbulb finally came on and I began to step out of my self-loathing, I began to shift my focus and goals into improving myself and learning new skills to find jobs that were more challenging and fulfilling, that’s when I found my confidence and my voice. I’m thankful for the opportunities that I had, for the people I worked with (both good and bad), and the connections I made along the way. This laid the foundation of what I was going to need in my next job adventure.
The World of Dlo 