Safety Net
I am a very skilled-self taught cook. I am extremely versed at my old career and I had the pleasure of working an important role in a very important way. I know how to read mechanical diagrams (as well as operating such machines) well and I can diagnose most issues in a wide variety of old cameras.
There are plenty of reasons and motives over the years to pick up so many random specialties. My favorite reason I would mention to others was that I liked to try something new, to be bad at it. From there I would study whatever it was inside and out for months or longer. It was fun to be bad only later to improve and be better.
I worked in a healthcare setting, I was brand-new and had very little work guidance and was thrown to the wolves. My supervisor pulled me aside and warned me that I needed to learn faster or else I was gone. Later that day, I went to the library and checked out a book on the subject. Almost a decade later I was proud to say I was one of the more important employees in a very large system.
When I was working in a clinical setting I eventually moved into town with a job offer for an interesting specialty in the overarching subject matter. with a practice. Without a doubt if you asked my old team (they have such a place in my heart) what I was like, they would have some words. I am pretty sure at that time, we were the most certified/credentialed team in clinic. It was not light material by any means. It was so much fun.
As an assistant I would do a variety of different things. My job involvement could almost end up being three full hours with one patient. My job was to be thorough, compassionate, and professional.
When I started in town I had the tools at hand to throw myself into learning important diagnostic and technical techniques. I could transpose diagnostic-related numbers in my head well. Any and every skill I had access to that could be learned the manual way I learned it and excelled. My learned skills and accomplishments there are some of my proudest. I would have to give a huge nod to so many people I worked with who passionately passed along vital information. In my corner I had a variety of very accomplished individuals who really helped give me tools and advice.
When I was twenty-one years old, I decided I wanted to learn how to cook. My parents and family (bless them) are mostly bad at cooking and always have been. “Food was fuel” was kind of the mentality.
I was in college and I did not have a scrap of cooking sense. The first thing I cooked was bacon. I messed it up.
Today I am the best cook I know of my category. Cooking is also my love language —I am always more motivated to cook as a gift. I do comfort food with a nod to southern cuisine and Italian roots. Lamb is my favorite.
I ask myself sometimes, why the hell do I do so much? I also think to myself how incredibly relieved I can do this when needed. I guess I do well under pressure.
Thank god I have adopted all of this. Life is often chaotic. Having such a wide-set variety of skills helps cushion me. I thank my lucky stars that I have a few things going for me there.
These days I am actually doing pretty well. I am looking forward to life again.
I am excited to paint my dream house. I am looking forward to decorating it. I am looking forward to starting my cool new job. I am looking forward to future moments with my whole family.
