I noted in my last post that I will start a new, full-time job in January.  As things turned out, I started yesterday on a part-time basis.  I’m working as the Communications Coordinator for the Houston chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)-Texas.  On Monday morning I had orientation and yesterday morning spent three hours on my very first full-time job working in an office with real people since 2003.  I realized yesterday that this is also the first job I’ve ever had whose basis was not supporting someone else (clerically or administratively), but working on a team in support of an organizational vision. My first “real” job (as an adult, not enrolled in school) was as a secretary.  For 20 years I worked at different levels of that class of work.  I was a secretary, an administrative assistant, and ultimately an executive assistant (although never given that exact title).  I finally completed my bachelors degree in 2002, at the age of 41, and that year I was promoted to the position of associate director of one of the four inpatient facilities run by the healthcare organization I worked for.  It was “associate director” because I would be reporting to the organization director, but I would be the administrative head of that facility.  It was the place I belonged after a couple decades of supporting other people. Literally days before I was to start in that position, my supervisor […]

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