Sunday, October 16, 2005

Cleaned out my locker

I cleaned out my locker and said goodbye to my loader today. I've been driving heavy equipment, i.e, dumps trucks, loaders, cranes, forklifts, etc. and doing maintenance for almost 8 years. When I took that position, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. It was a far cry from the computer and payroll duties I had been doing. I have battled blisters, bruises and the sexual discrimination that is not supposed to exit. I entered the man's world and felt the differences. But, I persevered, proved myself and learned more about the "real" world in that job than in any of the others I have held. (And, I have had a variety too. From vacuum salesperson to legal assistant to Client trainer to home health care and then some.)

It's kind of a melancholy moment. I start down a new path tomorrow. Leaving something comfortable and starting something unknown is stressful. Some many little things are coming up that I really hadn't thought about. Now, I have to think about what to wear to work every day. Not that I have to dress up. Blue jeans and sneakers are ok. Only, I don't have any decent blue jeans. Yet. But, I get to toss the grease stained jeans and T-shirts. I don't have to wear my steel toed boots anymore. Now, I have to think about shoes even. And what to do with my hair. Before, I pulled it back in a pony-tail and threw my hard hat over it. I'm going to have to start coloring it now. You will have able to see that I have a few gray hairs. I can wear jewelry again. Only, I don't own any so that's no big deal there. I can wear make-up now that I won't be wiping dirt and grease off my face a gazillion times a day. Except, I'm really only a special occasion make-up wearer. So, now that I think about it. Nothing is really going to change. Jeans, T-shirt, sneakers and I'll just have to wear my ball cap. Life is still simple.

The hardest part of cleaning out my locker was deciding what to do with my safety harness. I'm not going to need it. But, it's mine. It is styled for a lady and is green, pink and purple, so I didn't figure any of the guys would really want it. So, I kept it. Kind of looks like a S.M outfit, maybe me and my sweetie can make use of it. Hey, halloween's coming up, that's also my birthday weekend and I will be with my sweetie. Think I know what I'll go as for halloween.