In a few days it will be one year since I moved to New
Mexico. This is especially
exciting because it means I get to pay in-state tuition for the classes I start
Monday! I’m taking 4 classes this semester and have my scheduled set so I only
have to be on campus Monday and Tuesday evenings. Maybe it’s weird that my first time commitment Monday’s is
7pm, but I’ve been finding plenty of extra-curricular activities to prevent
laziness.
One of these extra-curricular activities is I am now the
Vice President of Associated Graduate Business Students (AGBS). Officially this is an elected position
but close examination of the voting process may bring up some issues of
credibility. Anyways we have 25k
to spend on planning mixers that usually 15 students come to. What does this mean for me? a) my
professor this summer called me Vice President Eklund b) I got a free breakfast
this morning c) I’m getting a free dinner tomorrow night…actually I anticipate
a lot of free meals in my future.
Since AGBS only pays in free meals and swag, I have
collected an assortment of paying jobs as well.
1)
Dog/house Sitting aka Paid Living: I don’t actually know the home/dog
owners but they have a hammock in the backyard and buy M&M’s from
Costco. I’m not sure why I’m in
business school since I’ve already found by dream job.
2)
House Cleaning: While house sitting I met the
neighbors and, over a prime rib dinner, the lady offered to hire me to do some
house work and organizational assistance. I am really bad at saying no, but she did turn on CNN for me
while dusting so it was educational.
3)
Dowd and Guild: I just can’t get away from them
but that’s ok, I have moved past deleting old emails and onto cleaning up
files. Theoretically I can do all of
this while watching TV but I’ve yet to even work TV watching into my
schedule.
4)
Diaper Bank of New Mexico: I somehow got
connected with this cowboy hat wearing real-estate agent who wants to start a
diaper bank in the area. I’m
supposed to help her get 501(c)(3) status, something I’ve never even kind of
done. Fortunately she’s been a
slacker getting me necessary information so I don’t have to feel really bad
about not doing anything.
5)
MATCH, New Mexico: This is the job I got at the
end of May when God just handed it to me over a lovely lunch. MATCH is a program, at this stage, that
pairs 3rd grade students with college-aged mentors who donate their
time in exchange of a generous stipend. Ideally this will actually happen in the Santa Fe area in
January. It’s a start-up program
so I’ve been learning a ton about what it means to actually get an organization
off the ground from writing business plans to branding to curriculum
development. I work with a group
of liberal, practicing Jews between 60-80 years old, so that has been an
embedded learning experience.
Every day is different but I also get free food there too, sometimes
random things like packs of lamb chops.
But really that’s $13 I don’t have to spend next time I want lamb chops.
I have other jobs too that are much more difficult. Like making sure I’m daily living
submitted to God’s will for my life. And loving people. And not getting
frustrated that no one eats my potluck contributions (I’ll be eating a lot of
orzo salad this week). And not using
my busyness as an excuse to live in isolation. And not putting my light under a
bushel. And getting out of bed.
And not being a hypocrite. And
watering my dying vegetable garden.
So with “real” jobs getting a professional mentor is all
popular right now. The good news is
I can get one for these other jobs too, 3-in-1 really. And through a relationship with this
strange Trinity all these things can fall into a sane and rewarding order.
love, joy
