Finding your passion

When I was 22 and landed my first job post college, I had no idea that I was going to fall in love. But, I did. I fell in love with a company that was so amazing. A company that's mission statement was "to make every little girl feel special." I spent years trying to do just that in every state that this company would send me to. That mission really ignited a fire in me, and I couldn't wrap my head around anybody not understanding it. 

 {2007, My store in Myrtle Beach, SC}

{2007, Downtown Disney store where I spent two weeks training for Myrtle Beach. Anaheim, CA}

One of my favorite things about the five years I spent with Club Libby Lu was running into girls that were regulars at the stores I worked at, or girls coming in to see me when I worked. They would run in, hug us and usual shriek about how we pierced their ears or danced with them on their birthdays or painted their nails and poured glitter over the wet polish. It never once got old. Never. Those kids are what kept the job lively, kept it fun, entertaining and simply, amazing. Each time I felt myself falling into a rut, I knew a 6 year old would probably be the one to pull me out of it, and you know what? They did. Each and every time.

After the holidays in 2009, and the company closed it's final door at the end of January 2010, I didn't start grad school like I planned. Instead, I was recruited by a different children's retailer, also for girls but this company was all about sales. Gone was the importance of providing an experience a child would never forget. The two years I spent with this company taught me a lot about business and managing people, but it didn't give me that same satisfaction and feeling of knowing that I made a child's day, week, month or even year! Rarely did I have kids come running into the store to see me like I did with CLL and during those two years I really missed that.

{2010, my last visit to my very first store. Overland Park, KS}

Now that I have been subbing for about a year and I'm regularly at certain schools, the kids know me. They remember me. They remember what we did the last time I was there. Maybe it's because I look young. Maybe it's because when they ask me if I like a certain rapper and when I know who it is they laugh hysterically (seriously, always rap). Maybe it's because I actually teach and I speak English and can understand their Spanish when they refuse to speak English. (yes, that has happened to me).

I don't know. All I know is that I think they like having me around, and you know what? I like them too. A lot.

Saturday night I was out with a friend at a really small restaurant in the Merle Hay area, which happens to be in the area that my favorite middle school to teach at is. As we were eating dinner the busboy was coming around and clearing dishes and filling waters. On his second trip to our table, he faces me and goes, "I know you!" I kind of choked a little, and was like, "really??" He goes, "Yeah, you're my teacher sometimes."

I could tell he was trying to be all tough and not smile or act at all excited or humored by seeing a teacher outside of school (middle schoolers. They're so big and bad, right?).

I didn't recognize him at first and I instantly felt terrible. Luckily, my instincts from CLL kicked in, and when little girls would come in super excited that I was the one that pierced her ears- OMG! I always knew to pretend, and just grin real big and check out her sparkly new earrings and pretend that I remembered every last detail of that extremely important rite of passage for a girl. You know, make her feel special.

Doing this always made me feel special too of course, how can you not?!

I had that feeling again when he recognized me and brought it up. It felt really good to have that feeling again. I always knew that being in the classroom was going to be special to me like working for a company as special as CLL was, but I was kind of waiting for something like that to happen. Nothing can ever replace CLL for me, but I know that teaching is going to come in as a close, close second.

I don't have any pictures of teaching. I wish I did. If there were students in the pictures I wouldn't be able to post them, so in the meantime, you can enjoy some of my faves from CLL. :) 

Out of all of the jobs you've held in your lifetime, which job has been your absolute favorite, and why? 

 

{My favorite picture from my years at CLL. That was my boss at the time. ;) }