Careers for Introverts

 I did a little google search today on careers for introverts.  It was pretty interesting.  I can't remember the number 1 answer, but number 2 was farmer or rancher.  They projected their income at 70K+.  That must be an average because I know farmers who make a whole lot more and a whole lot less.  While I would LOVE to be a farmer or rancher, I'm short on land, energy, and fellow workers.  I kept going down the list.  I probably would have been a great plumber.  I took an aptitude test in high school which suggested I join the military or dig ditches.  The counselor did not encourage me to pursue either of these options.  My dad, who grew up on a wheat and cattle ranch was solidly against the farm/ranch options, so I majored in nutrition.  I'm not sure what I thought I was going to do with that, but I did know I liked to eat.  I did a short stint with General Mills in their food lab.  It was an interesting job, but I no longer live in Minnesota, and I took a solid 25 years off to raise my children.

So, I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to be when I grow up.  I had a solid start on being a dog breeder, but then we sold our property and moved to a much more densely populated area.  One particular neighbor made it very clear that he was not supportive of my vocation in our new location.  My sweet Berners are now in new homes, with lovely people living their best lives.  I think this satisfied my neighbor, since I haven't received any hate mail since they left.  Animal breeding was on the list of introvert careers, by the way, so I as in the right ball park.  I worked for a season (retail season) at Costco.  I'm not sure I can do that until I'm 80.  I did get in really good shape, and met some really great people.  I may go back once I get back from a 21 day trip in June.  It was solid pay, low stress, and I won't have to have a gym membership.  I also worked as a ski instructor this winter.  It was really fun to be outside, teaching little people to love to ski.  It is a fairly short season, and the pay was hit and miss.  I will totally be back up there next season even if it's only one day a week.

Part of my dilemma is knowing how much time I need to be working.  How much money do I need to make?  How much energy can I give?  I am always wondering how long my health will stay good, and will I need to help my parents or children at some point.  I considered going to graduate school to get a counseling degree, but spending 60K at 53, with 2 kids who still need to get through college seems out of reach.  The one career that looked remotely plausible was writing.  I do have a college degree.  I can work on the technical skills of writing.  I am fairly articulate, usually.  So here I am.  I need practice.  I need to work at it.  I need to figure out who needs someone to write for them and how do I get paid for it?

We will see where this goes, but it seems like as good a plan as any.  Rick writes for a living and does very well.  He is much more detail oriented and technical than I am.  He does have me read things occasionally to see if a lay person can understand what he's saying.  I'm going to take this plan to my father and see what he thinks.  I know he can provide abundantly more than I can imagine.  Every now and then people ask if I will write a book on parenting.  I have too many friends who have done that.  I think about it every once in a while.  My latest thought on the subject is how to write a book for parents that encourages them to know that all the trials and stress of parenting is totally worth it.  The honor of raising little humans is less about how they "turn out" and more about showing up and doing your best day in and day out.  I don't want to try to tell someone how to raise their child, I want to encourage them that parenting is important, and hard, and worth every sleepless night and gray hair.  I don't know if anyone wants to read that.  I definitely don't know if anyone would publish that.  For now, I hope I can get some quiet space to write about whatever is happening.  I hope that it gets better and more readable over time.  

Thankful for: Computers that make writing so much easier. Dogs to take on walks.  Rivers to walk next to. Birds laying eggs, catching fish, singing, swimming, flying, and generally being birds. April flowers coming to life.  Snow capped mountains stunning me every single day. A functional kitchen that I got to design.  Clean water that comes out of tap, hot and cold, in my house.  Uninterrupted time to think and write and talk to myself without any judgement.