Monday, October 25, 2010

Crusade Challenge #2

The second of our crusade challenges is to write a post starting with "You may not know this about me, but..."
 
I collect a lot of stuff.  I have no room for skeletons in my closet, because it is full of all this other stuff!

I collect Parents Magazine Press picture books.  I think I've mentioned before that I have very fond memories of getting books in the mail as a child.  These books were from Parents Magazine Press and I LOVED them (and still do).  Sadly Parent Magazine Press stopped producing picture books, so I scour book sales and Goodwill and garage sales for copies of my favorites.  In fact, one of the first things I did when I found out I was pregnant with my first son was create an eBay account so I could buy a copy of "Popcorn" by Frank Asch, which was my favorite.  Anyone else know and love these?  Like "Miss Mopp's Lucky Day" when she forgets her umbrella on the way to sell her baked goods?  Or "Pets I Wouldn't Pick"?  Or "Septimus Bean and his Flying Machine"?

I collect John Deere tractors (the toys, not the real things).  This all began when my high school band did "Bohemian Rhapsody" as their halftime show at football games.  They would bring the percussion stuff out with a little John Deere and I was so excited for the show I would yell, "Here comes the John Deere!"  My friend took this to mean I loved John Deere and started giving me the little toys.  I've been a John Deere enthusiast ever since.  My dad arranged for me to help with the harvest last fall and drive a real JD Combine (that's me in the pink hat)!




I collect jobs.  Now, these aren't taking up room in my closet, but still.  Jobs I've actually been paid to do just go on and on.  I've worked in a Deli/Bagel Shop. I worked in shop called Natural Wonders.  I was a land surveyors assistant.  I've been a babysitter for anywhere between one and nine children for extended periods of time.  I've worked in a fitness center.  I worked the front desk at residence halls.  I was a secretary.  I was a youth minister.  I did transcription work.   I did research.  I worked in the costume jewelry department of L.S. Ayres.  I once even waitressed a catered event at the Jewish Community Center (I really served people gefilte fish and latkas - that's kartoffelpuffer for you of German-descent).  And I'm sure I could think of more if I wanted to continue down memory lane.  But I'm tired just thinking of all that work!

18 comments:

  1. Great post Meg, you've had more of an assortment of jobs than me! I must be right behind you in the how many different jobs can I get through in my life competition.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kanga - I forgot to even mention my current job! But "regulatory compliance coordinator" probably doesn't mean anything to most people. : ) It is my salvation job though. I can work from home to be there for my kids. Blessing!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've had quite an assortment of jobs, too. Everything from being a teaching horse riding to kids with disabilities to testing the fitness level of elite athletes.

    My 8 yo son collects anything John Deere. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Interested in all the jobs and the your collections. My most odd employment that I can mention is the four years I did as an Anglican minister, preaching around fourteen parishes....

    ReplyDelete
  5. WOW that's a lot of different jobs!

    This crusader challenge is so cool in helping us get to know each other. Mine is coming later this week :-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great post Megan! Love the pikkie. Lots of jobs there. Plus, unpaid home engineer plus chef plus under-appreciated chauffer of course etc etc!!! :)

    Rach

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Meg, great story. Such wide experience you have, have you ever thought of following your dad's footstep and become a farmer?

    ReplyDelete
  8. My dad actually just knew this farmer who let me help out. My dad is a Lutheran pastor. : ) I totally wanted to be a farmer after helping out that day though!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wow, that's quite a collection! Lovely post! :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Love how your collection started out as a misunderstanding.

    ReplyDelete
  11. My grandma loves Ayres! (Loved, maybe? Is it still open?)

    I was going to make a "just like the real thing, only smaller" joke, but then remembered that's Ertl, not John Deere. :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Quinn - I like that about it too. Makes a better story than, "I liked that color green".

    Su - Alas, she loved and loves no more. It is no longer. : (

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hey I stopped over from the crusade. I like the way you have used those words. I never knew the kartoffelpuffer was that popular.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Great Job! It's neat reading everyone's different take on the writing prompt.

    And please tell is more about your salvation job as a regulatory compliance coordinator. I'd love to find a job in which I could stay home with my kiddos. With teaching, I get to stay home on holidays, but that's not nearly good enough:(

    ReplyDelete
  15. Someone once told me, "Writers know a lot about a few things, and a little about lots of things." I think having lots of jobs is a requirement to fit the bill. But you've got me beat hands down.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hey this was a different way of looking at the challenge. You should have lots of life experience to inject into your stories..:)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Wow, all those jobs will come in handy as a writer at some point, I'm sure. Varied experience means broader perspective. Good for you!

    (I'm reading some of the comments before and am realizing that it looks like I'm copying everyone, but I mean what I say genuinely! Especially when I say that this was very nice post;-) )

    ReplyDelete