Tuesday, December 16, 2008

She Sold Bears???!!

I'm always fascinated with the various jobs and careers people have had. It's fascinating how life, opportunity, and circumstances take us from one interest and direction to another, sometimes very far from where we thought we would end up. In college, I changed my major five times before finally settling on psychology, probably because I had just run out of ideas and didn't want to take ten years to graduate. These are some of the jobs I have had in the past:

  • Customer service representative at a bank
  • Substitute teacher
  • Educational Diagnostician
  • Psychotherapist
  • Jury Consultant
  • School Counselor
  • College Instructor
  • Entrepreneur
Entrepreneur? Hmmm....what exactly were you doing, you ask. Well, I find it strange to tell you this, but several years ago, I had a bear business. Yes, wild but true. I bought a stuff-your-own-teddy-bear franchise (like Build-A-Bear but these bears were much cuter in my opinion), hired a few teenagers, and set up shop in a mall. Now I didn't fantasize about selling bears as a youth, and I certainly didn't go to school for all those years to sell bears, but there I was. A little history. Four years prior to the bear phase I was working in the fast-paced, crazy intense world of litigation and trial consulting. It was an incredible adventure and experience, filled with glamour, intelligent attorneys, first class travel, exciting research, and even meeting a few celebrities along the way. It was also an insanely toxic work environment filled with long hours (80 to 100 hour workweeks), spending three months away from home living in a hotel room for a trial, running constantly on pure adrenaline, and trying to please (and avoid) two ego-maniacal bosses, one of whom now has his own talk show. So it's really no surprise that my impulsive decision to buy a bear business was a karmic attempt to get as far away from the world of conflict, greed, animosity, manipulation, and screaming bosses as I could get. Alas, my foray into retail didn't last very long. Retail, at least in the middle of the mall, I quickly found was not for me. (I've got a Dave Sedaris-esque short story in there somewhere.) But, I did walk away from the experience with a few life lessons, along with a herd of bears. So, please, won't you give one of these reindeer a home? Just leave a comment and I'll draw three names Thursday morning. (Reindeer have not been handled or played with, are stuffed with 100% polyester filling and a red felt heart. Not for children under the age of three. Bells could be a choking hazard. Prefers oats and barley but will also eat cat food if you have it.)

7 comments:

caryn said...

I, too, left a fast paced career and opened a Paint Your Own Pottery Shop--only to find out (1 1/2yrs later) that it was not for me. I have loads of unpainted pottery and a name for one of the reindeer could be (if mine) Hazel--it's a girl!! I also have that exact same Madame Alexander Doll--So Big--is her name. But MY Pillsbury Dough boy is now 9 yrs old and I can not dress her anymore--ENJOY IT . Thanks I enjoyed your post!

Lisa said...

Those bears are adorable...

Anonymous said...

You are so amazing girl! I am so busy-need to write you! Wish we lived closer! (Why is Texas so dang big?) Love the bears! And the adorable pictures of Peanut Patty! We haven't even been to see Santa this year! AHHHH!
Lots of Love!

Valita said...

I love them! I never knew that about you. Very interesteing tidbits. PS - Heather Ales is having her baby today!

Kari said...

What a great story!! Love the bears. Chloe would go coo coo over one of those:)
Happy Holiday's!!!
Kari

Elizabeth Fedorko said...

You've had a varied and fun bunch of jobs!~~~My first job was scooping ice cream, then I worked doing displays for a large record store before graduating college with an MFA. I then taught elem. school art--brutal!--followed by being an Asst. Curator at a fine arts museum, then I became a mom, then Penguin Putnam published my first and only romance novel (so far), and now I'm a happy crafter!~~~Those bears just scream cutie pie!~~~XXOO, Beth

Britt- Sparkled Vintage Charm said...

love learning more about you!! I have only had one job. (12 years at the same place!! lol) I started working at a daycare(voted best in the county every year) when I was 16. I worked in every room there(every age group from baby to 12 years old) I was a preschool teacher for the pre k class the last few years before I quit to stay home with my babies. I think working there really helped prepare me for having kids(especially the years of early childhood education classes I took)

have a fabulous day!!
xoxo! Britt :-)