Saturday, May 12, 2012

Riding The Armadillo Into Mother's Day

All of a sudden I am working.  I had an interview last Thursday and by day's end, a job offer and a starting time on Friday.  The busiest weekend of the year for Mother's Day, I have attempted what seems like doing an Olympic swim without any training.  At the end of day two, tired but showered and fed, I shall be back at it in the morning. 

I work with many young, very kind humans which is taking some getting used to and howdy.  I am the old one, though they have all welcomed me, checked on me and kept me afloat with their brilliance, kindness, patience and interest.  This may be the first time that I have felt that in a work place and that is such a travesty. I am making less per hour than I have in decades and at times, I wonder if my old brain can memorize anything. However, my understanding of the kindness of (former) strangers has been tested each day with just that-their kindness. 

This appears to be just a summer job for me and I am fine with just working an honest day and doing the best I can to do well, stay afloat, be present and earn some much needed greenbacks.  I feel very humbled and oh so grateful to a nursery where I shopped as a child with my mother.  That's right, more than 45 years later, I am hustling to stay up with my co-workers as an employee at the same place where I walked the aisles looking at plants with my mother.  Kinda weird actually.

Today, I wore my Armadillo  Hill Country Classic T-shirt in honor of the 18th Annual Armadillo Hill Country Classic which my family was a part of today.  I thought of them as I was scooting all over the nursery and missed them terribly.  We are lucky here in California in many ways including the weather and it is lonely at times to be so far away without a clan.
However, I feel kind of like I have ridden an Armadillo itself into Mother's Day as tomorrow promises more customers who are seeking the perfect plant to honor their mother or just make her happy so she doesn't complain that we never call her.  Actually, my partner's son's could use a good talking to in that department but for me, I am grateful to have a job, at least for the summer, and an opportunity to be a part of something that makes me feel that I am a part of someone's happiness.

Happy Mother's Day and may it be just that for you wherever you are in life.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Miner's Gold

A gold miner's struggle to find
 the mother lode,
Texas is rumored to have
 more jobs than people
 ready to stand in line for
 them,
damn the heat and humidity for
 a chance to work again.
Texas, of all places, attempts to claim
 us
 with its' largess and the promise of
 a new beginning there
 as if all it took was to
 load the car with our few
 worldly possessions and
 move on.
God knows that I long for fresh
 ground
beneath my feet
 and a chance to be with my family on
 the weekends,
work,
run,
live on with hope.
God knows
 and yet I remain here
 in
the land of make believe.