Editor’s Note: Be sure to read Part I and II of this series from Iuka native Carlynn Rainey Calvert in previous issues. Available online at www.tishco.news.
There was finally some progress and stability on the job front and in my new life in Houston too. Before I left Super Suppers, I was recognized for my hard work and customer service. I was given a 2 percent raise. Can you calculate the 2 percent increase on $5.15/hour? It wasn’t much but it was recognition for a job well done. I was even offered the position of Assistant Manager.
Instead of pursuing advancement at Super Suppers, I had another job on the horizon. This time working for Downtown Paws, a dog walking and pet sitting company. This was a well-established business, and my job was to manage all the clients. I more than doubled my paycheck by taking this job. I travelled all over downtown Houston visiting many homes with furry, four legged clients. It wasn’t unusual to drive 100 miles each day. I had keys to each client’s home which resulted in having a keychain that resembled something like that of a janitor. Each stop consisted of dog walks ranging from short visits (a quick potty break) to 30 minute or 1-hour walks and playtime.
My furry clients were all types of breeds…a French Bulldog named Olivia; a Great Dane named Lance; boxers named Strider and Rose; chocolate labs named Moose and Guinness; and everything in between. One of the job perks? Besides being with animals all day, I had a killer ankle sock tan line from all the time in the sun.
The best job perk was the confidence I gained from driving all over downtown Houston. If you’ve ever visited Houston, you will understand there’s a 610 loop and a Beltway 8; that I-10 runs East to West; I-45 runs North to South; I-59 runs Northeast to Southwest; 290 runs Northwest and the difference between the Med Center; Downtown; the Galleria; the Heights; Midtown, etc. With Houston being the 4th largest city in the United States, it can be quite overwhelming.
I was still applying the working knowledge of a physical job to distract my brain from the anxiety. I also love animals, hello emotional support! What I didn’t know is how much Downtown Paws would help me build more self-esteem and confidence. This job took the intimidation out of driving in Houston. With navigating Houston now conquered, I proved to myself that I could do new, hard and scary things. I remained at Downtown Paws for 1.5 years.
There is a series of ebbs and flows to life. It is never constant. Sometimes you can have success in your professional life while your personal life is struggling. For instance, even though I was gaining traction at work, something else was happening in my life. My mom was placed in the hospital the Christmas of 2006 while I was still working at Super Suppers and little did I know, she would never go home again. Her last 6 months of life were in the hospital, and she passed away June of 2007 while I was working with Downtown Paws. This was the second major life event for me in only one year’s time. The first was moving to Houston.
Context is everything and hindsight too. As I reflect back at this painful time, I know I was in the right jobs at the right times. I needed the time, space and relatively low stress level jobs because of what I was enduring with the anxiety and then the sickness and death of my mom. I wasn’t and couldn’t have been ready for anything more career wise. God had placed me exactly where I needed to be.
Life is all about peaks and valleys. Good times, bad times and the in between times. I just happened to experience a lot of valleys and bad times right at the beginning of what I thought was going to be this great new chapter of my life. If I could go back and tell my younger self anything it would be, “hang in there. It does get better, I promise.”
I don’t know that I would have many other words than that for my younger self, but I know that I would look directly into her eyes when I said those words. I would give her a warm hug and just sit with her for comfort and to process all the ways her world seems to be coming undone. For those that have experienced life altering change, be kind and patient with yourself and take it one day at a time.
So, what happens next? How did I move forward? Stay tuned and I’ll unfold the story in part 4 of this career series from a small-town girl in the big city.