WORK PART 3



I began working in my current position 9.5 years ago. I have moments when I feel like this is the job and dream I had for myself. I feel stable and I have learned a lot about myself, Occupational Therapy and education from when I first began. I am also willing to admit it is much harder than I ever thought it could be.

The kids challenge me and some of the hardest students I have worked with become my favorites. I love seeing growth out of each of them. Sometimes I will have a student for a long period of time. I love the funny things they say and the way they view the world and situations. I love being able to witness mothers experiencing change and becoming better people because of the love and lessons their child is offering them. I get to be apart of the first and last day of school and Halloween Parades year after year for hundreds of children. In so many ways I have been able to fulfill my need to nurture children.

This secure job is busy but in a mundane way. I think everyone who plans on working solid for 30 (+) years feels this way at some point throughout the journey. Filing, driving, carrying bags and boxes of therapy materials/files in and out of buildings, having the ability to be flexible, following policies/procedures and cramming in time to write reports and medicaid bill is about 60% of my job. The other 40% is working with children and their teachers/families.

I never realized how important my clerical skills would be. My neurological system is tired and overstimulated with things that I never really promised anyone I would be good at. I've learned just because I am able to complete tasks physically, it doesn't mean that I should be repeating it over and over each day. For example, if I were a chef and a huge knife was required, I would need an assistant to chop. Anyone who has watched me use a knife would absolutely agree. Eating lunch and breakfast fast, doing ADL's quickly in the morning and rushing around to finish clerical tasks all fall into this category. I have gone through periods of time where I realize I get 100 energy dollars a day.....what am I going to use them on?  This is a very important balancing act that I haven't exactly mastered yet. I do believe becoming a master at this balancing act is the next part of my career.


I am looking forward to Work Part 4! What a journey it's been thus far.