Taking Risks
So, I was recently presented with a plethora of vocational options. The 2 biggest contenders were:1) become a full time, long term staff member (Fiscal Specialist) at the UW Medical Center's Operations & Maintenance Department, where I've been temping on and off since June 2005, know and love most of the people I work with, will get full benefits and a solid salary, but the job itself would not be something I'm particularly interested in or passionate about, nor would the job lead me in any direction where I could find employment in a position that utilizes my unique skills, and it would require me to wake up at 6 am every day.....
2) become a Communications Guru with a nonprofit with whom I've been volunteering for just under a year as a grant-writer ("Bridges to Understanding" - www.bridgesweb.org - they connect children from developing countries around the world through digital stories/documentaries); the job itself is much less stable (only guaranteed 3 days a week for 6 months, but it should be noted that I'm employed as a freelance writer for a separate person for 2 days a month for 6 months as well), pays less and offers no benefits (but I do not need benefits until I turn 25 in September), but it is pretty much the ideal job for me...the nonprof is in an incredibly exciting period of transition, and as one of only 4 staff members I have the potential to tremendously impact their direction; the basic duties include responding to email/answering phones, coordinating international photography/cultural workshops, grant-writing, and generating/implementing marketing strategies, and they like my work so much that they are willing to be incredibly flexible according to whatever my schedule ends up being...
So, for a while I was leaning towards the Fiscal Specialist job...I mean, it pays about $2/hr more, is more stable, gives benefits, and I already know how to do the job, but then I realized what an insanely cool opportunity the (albeit riskier) nonprof job was. Not only would it combine my academic interests (anthropology/psychology/social justice) but it would just give me a reason to wake up every morning, you know? I'm lucky that I don't have kids or any huge expenses that force me to go with the more $, so I can choose the riskier option.
However, when I turn 25 and my incredibly generous parents stop paying my insurance and medical costs, I will have to make decisions based on financial matters. I decided to go with the nonprof for now because this is the last 1/2 year where I won't have to factor in an extra $400-500/month for insurance (if, in the worst case, my job doesn't provide it, it will be $194/mo until I turn 30 to stay on my parents'), prescriptions (at least $100/mo), and doctors' visits ($25/each, they fluctuate but i usually see a doc 3-5x a month).
Phew! What an intense period of decision-making that was, especially in lieu of my pretty much unexpected break-up and sister's majorly exciting but time-consuming wedding! The past 3 weeks have seen the greatest rate of change in my life for as long as I can remember...
So, it's been soooo exciting to work for Bridges (and, despite my frequent usage of "sooo," bridges is a legitimate nonprofit seeking to connect children across cultures through digital storytelling, not a teeny-bopper magazing), I could go on and on, but I'll just leave with one metaphor that occurred to me last night after I put in my first every 12 hour work day and we finished a particularly intense board meeting: parts of this job feel a lot like the experience of running the mile...while you're doing it, it hurts and you start wondering why you're putting yourself through it, but afterwards, it feels sooooooo good!
I don't think the metaphor works all around, because throughout the entire job I do feel an ultimate moral sense of purpose (whereas while running, the basic motivator was just my inherent competitiveness, and the conviction that as long as i was spending 2 hours a day doing something, i might as well do it well).
Regardless, I just can't describe how much the feeling of driving home at 9:15 last night after a solid day of work reminded me of taking those first steps after you cross the finish line, hands on your head (to keep your chest open and get more air, even when all you feel like doing is curling up into a ball), feeling that surge of adrenaline/endorphins, and the irresistable urge to smile... | posted by Cheryl, 4/06/2006 08:12:00 AM
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