#30YearsRolling – Day 9/30 – Reflections on the 30th Anniversary of my Injury
It was such a good feeling going into the interview knowing that the employer actually wanted a person with a disability for the job.
I didn’t have to do all of the covert research about accessibility beforehand.
I wasn’t worried about how I would be judged.
I felt pretty relaxed going into the interview.
It was only 20 minutes from home and no train travel was required which was a relief for me.
I felt welcome the moment I entered reception.
It was a brand new building and a place I could see myself working.
The interview went really well and when at the end of it I was getting introduced to a few people as I got a tour I knew my chances were very high of landing the job.
The next day I got a call offering me the job and I was so relieved to finally have been successful after such a challenging experience along the way.
There was a uniform for the job – black bottoms, white shirt and a red blazer.
Yes, this is where the red thing all started!
Prior to this job I’d never worn red and as soon as I put on the red blazer I was flooded with compliments about how good I looked in red.
From then I started buying red tops and dresses and as you know now, it’s pretty much my uniform and what I’m known for wearing 😊
The admin lunch room was upstairs so I found myself lunching in the downstairs workshop lunch room which was a daunting experience at first being 18 years old and the only woman in there!
I started out getting a taxi to and from work while I continued my driving lessons weekly.
Once I started working I used one of the driving lessons for getting home from work!
Close to my 19th birthday I passed my driving test, got my P plates and Dad took me car shopping.
I learned a lot about negotiating by car shopping with Dad that’s for sure.
I came away with a 1993 VR Commodore wagon and a car loan (a much smaller loan that it could have been thanks to Dad’s negotiating).
It was incredible the way in which my self worth was elevated by having a full time job.
It had taken a big hit during the job search and having so much idle time on my hands during the process.
At the end of the year I had a job I loved, a new boyfriend that I had met at work and a car.
Life was certainly looking up for me.
The song that represents this time for me is “Runnin’ Down A Dream” by Tom Petty
#rebirthday #ToMyYoungerSelf
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Stacey Copas, Author of “How To Be Resilient”, helps shift the way people perceive and respond to uncertainty, change and adversity, helping them to see opportunities where they once saw only obstacles.
The world is rapidly changing, people are having to do more with less, are more stressed and have less balance in their lives.
To be fulfilled and successful in embracing the uncertain and changing world, it is essential to develop resilience to see and act on the opportunities that uncertainty and change present.
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