SPF: All My Lives

Sounds like a soap opera, but no, it's this week's SPF. This week Kristine has us reflecting on ghosts of past, present and future. Our assignment:

Something that represents your past
Something that represents your present
Something that represents your future

Let's begin, shall we?

Something that represents your past

This was our last DINK (dual income, no kids) purchase. Our big screen TV. We're talking 60" of Dr. McDreamy in living color. The TV started showing signs of impending death so we sent her to TV hospice (Salvation Army). We loved this television and my boys have never known anything but a life-sized Barney. My youngest cried a river when the men came to take the girl away, but make no mistake all three boys shed a tear.

Something that represents your present

My PTA stuff. I'm a homeroom mom and effective December 17 will sit on the board. I know the rules this week state not to use your kids as your present, but at the moment this is my life. Monday I have to set up a dessert buffet as a thank you to the teachers and staff at school. Arts Day is the week after and then collecting for the teacher's gift to be presented at the class party the week after. I swear it's a full time job. It seems that so many parents just check out of any involvent once their kids reach school aged. That's too bad, because I know the kids still want to see their parents there during the day and not just for the class performance. They love the simple pleasures like having dad at lunch or mom at Library time. I get so frustrated when the students tell me that their mommy and daddy can't come because they work, but the truth is most of the time parents can take *some* time to come hang out even if it's just once a month. Sometimes I hate it that I have to pull the weight of other parents, but most of the time I'm tickled pink I get to do it.

And here is my current little part time gig. Though I'm not ready for a full time work outside the home, my job at the Y meets several needs. One, my child gets to be a part of the program at no cost to me, I get to bring home a few (and I do mean few) bucks every couple of weeks and I have something on my resume that isn't a big fat blank spot for the last 7 years. All that and I get my wardrobe supplemented to boot!

Something that represents your future

I have a confession. Most people would think I'm sick. My family thinks I should be committed. Okay, here goes:

I want to be an accountant.

There I said it.

I've always worked with accounting in some form or fashion trying to get through school. I finally graduated with a degree in Communication, started working in with the media and left the accounting world behind 10 years ago. As much as I enjoyed life in front of a television camera or behind a radio microphone it's not a career I choose pursue in my future. Working in the media is not exactly family friendly.

Now I hope to be able to segway back into the life of accounting I left behind. Unfortunately I don't have an education in accounting so I fear my opportunities may be limited. I suppose time will tell. I really do love the work. Accounting is problem solving. It tells a story by looking at a company's past, present and future. Just the thought of locating $.33 in an audit tape in order to balance a $100,000 transaction practically makes me giddy.

I need help, I know.

The DHW