Wow, that last post was depressing. But sometimes, that's just where we find ourselves. Lately I've been finding myself putting on my fancy interviewing dress, and what some might consider a respectable pair of shoes. And possibly, by the time I'm hired for my next fabulous job, I might have finally figured out how to comfortably walk in said shoes! I don't know how you ladies out there walk in heels on a regular basis. I'm way more comfortable in my dusty cowboy boots, but sometimes we have to push ourselves to embrace that place outside of our comfort zone. And that's where I've been hanging out lately.
I'm happy to say that I've also been hanging out on the hiking trail with my trusted four legged pal Stella, and I've been spending a lot more time in the kitchen, too. Oh, the things I have baked and fried and frozen, sautéed and chopped and diced and sprinkled with herbs and drizzled with olive oil! Chocolate ice cream from scratch, roasted eggplant, triple ginger cookies, macaroni and cheese, lemon confit, roasted chicken, organic peach sorbet and all kinds of grilled things, thanks to our new-to-us gas grill that I found on Craigslist for $25! Like many of us, it just needed a TLC to sparkle and shine.
I've also been spending more time in the garden, sweet garden. Our garden this year is humble but mighty. We've been enjoying some of the best tomatoes we've ever grown, and chives and chard and lettuces and zucchini, always zucchini! You cannot escape the zucchini!!
It occurred to me recently that the job search is not unlike the planting of a garden. You plant your seeds, show up, pay attention, water, pull weeds and do the best you can with what you've got. There are some forces you can't control, like the elements. And some forces you might only narrowly be able to control, like critters. But chances are good that if you're doing your best and paying attention and feeding the soil, good things will grow. And when I've found myself feeling overwhelmed or discouraged with the job search, I've found it comforting to think of each resume and cover letter as a seed that I am planting in good faith. Who knows what will sprout out of it? Maybe a new amazing adventure, possibly nothing at all. But you just keep planting, and showing up, and paying attention, and doing the best you can with what you've got to work with, and just like in the garden, good things are bound to grow. That feels like a good way to look at things right about now.
