Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
Promptings from Valhalla - 22. January 2018 prompt - First Day of Work
Prompt: Write about your first day of work at your current job
Twelve years ago, I was working two part-time jobs with variable hours and no benefits. I needed a steady paycheck and health insurance, so I applied to the only job in my field that was posted in the paper. I was in a bad place at that time. While I loved one of my jobs, I hated the other one. Just turning down the street in the direction of that job was enough to make my stomach roil with anxiety. I was severely depressed, which added fuel to an already bad situation. Something needed to change, so I accepted the job offer with a mixture of trepidation and hope.
While it was a relief to quit the job I hated, I felt that leaving there constituted a failure on my part. My passion was working with people with neurogenic disorders such as traumatic brain injury, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia. On paper, the job I hated was my dream job. I never anticipated it turning into such a nightmare. Taking this new job meant a departure from that passion, and one I felt was a step down.
I started the week of Thanksgiving, so the person who was supposed to train me was on vacation. I spent the day reviewing charts, copying treatment plans, and completing new employee paperwork. It was a vast change of pace from the environment I had left, where every hour needed to be accounted for and productivity was king. I finished my tasks well before the end of the day and was left bored and scrounging for things to do.
The highlight of my day was an interaction with an individual I have since come to know quite well. A staff member approached me and introduced herself and asked if I would please come meet Marie since she had been talking about me nonstop since I was hired. I, of course, said yes and followed her to meet this individual. When I entered the room, she immediately walked up to me and introduced herself. “Are you the new speech therapist?” she asked. When I said yes, she grinned and replied “I’m so excited to work with you. When are you going to see me?”
It warmed my heart to see how much the individuals on my caseload were looking forward to working with me. After the exchange with Marie, I was surrounded by individuals asking me questions about myself and if I was going to see them for speech. I felt less trepidation and more positive about my job change after that.
Despite my new optimism, I still viewed the job as temporary. My plan was to look for full time work in a skilled nursing facility and leave as soon as I found one. I figured I wouldn’t be there for a full year. Twelve years later I’m still there with no regrets.
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
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