Real Job gets some love

Since I've been writing like...24/7, I somehow forgot how awesome my Real Job is.  I was too busy fantasizing about myself becoming a rich famous author (hahaha) to give my job the love it deserves.  Because, it totally does deserve some love.  I had a great day at work today, which is what inspired this post.  Here are the top 5 things about my job:

5 - Umm...my office is full of toys.  How can you beat that?  I've got Operation, Lego, Buzzword Jr, Kerplunk, thomas the train set, puzzles, and just about every other toy you can imagine.  It's very smile-inducing walking into my office.  Oh, and since I'm itinerant, the trunk of my car is often overflowing with toys too.  Yeah...I get weird looks.

4 - I get hugged almost everyday.  Well ok, my boyfriend probably hugs me everyday, but that's different.  Here, I get my client-kids hugging me...and sometimes even their parents!  It's a great feeling knowing that I've made someone's day...and I love that they return the favour with hugs and smiles.

3 - Most of the kids I work with have no idea what my actual title is, so I most often get called the "Game Teacher."  What an awesome job that must be!  Oh...yeah...it's mine. :)

2 - I get to hear things like, "A lot of people come to see X, but I never see him respond as well as when you come.  Really, he never sits at a table this long for any other activity unless it's with you!"  yeah...I'm awesome.

1 - And ok, this might be a cop-out because it's so similar to #2, but I get to see things - to be responsible for things - that are life changing for families.  I get to witness the first time a child says "mom" or "I love you" or the first time the child actually LOOKS at their parents.  I get to help kids say their own names without slurring.  I get to hear kids tell me about how they finally have friends on the playground because of what we've been learning in our sessions.  You can't buy that kind of satisfaction.  And...I don't have to.  In fact, I get paid for it.  :)  Alright, no more bragging!

Mmm...that felt so good.  I so often dwell on the negatives of my job (a buffet of germs, getting hit in the head with airborn toys, having ears torn apart by world-class tantrums, having to deal with slightly crazed parents, not getting paid after driving an hour to an appointment that the family forgot, incessant amounts of paperwork...I could go on, but it would defeat the purpose of this post.)

So, there you have it.  I should do ads. :)

Amanda