THE STORY: after I married in 1983 I went to work as a features writer for a small newspaper in Virginia. I loved writing my feature stories covering Southside, VA, but I did not particularly care for the owner, publisher, editor of the paper who after sending me to cover a town council meeting would take my story and "edit". He would edit to change just a small word or two thus creating a more controversial article than intended and I would get a call from the town manager who was usually yelling at me. But the plus side is that one day I interviewed the station manager at the new radio station which was about to air and he offered me a job. I couldn't quit fast enough. I worked in radio for about four years, but after two more moves and having two babies I was pretty much a stay-at-home mom. It was after the birth of our second child that my husband came home one day and asked me how the day had been. I said, "shh...Mr. Rogers is on and he's teaching us how to make crayons". My husband sat down and started scanning the papers (looking at the want ads for a job for me). A few minutes later he said, "hey I see a notice that the town is looking for someone part-time to do their downtown revitalization program and focus mainly on promotional events. You should apply."
Well - I stared at him a minute rather upset that he would want me to give up daily puke on my shirt, cleaning the house, doing the laundry, cooking dinner then it also hit me that he wanted me to work and do all of that as well (not really I'm married to a pretty good guy who would help out - most of the time), but then I said, "fine, I'll apply, but they won't hire me...I have been at home too long!"
I got the interview. I'll never forgot going in and sitting at the table and there were all these men and one woman. As I've stated in an earlier blog I am only 5'2 and at the time I only weighed 109 pounds (two children sort-of slimmed me down). As I was getting ready to go into the interview I noticed a very nice looking tall, statuesque looking woman exiting. I walk in to the interview and we go through some typical questions then a city councilman asked, "I see you've moved a lot - what does your husband do?" (illegal question, but I answered), "so how long do you think you'll be here, " (illegal question, but I answered and decided to be a smart-ass). My response, "how long does anyone think they'll be anywhere..." Then he asked the question that nearly 20 years later has stuck with me: "you're a rather small woman and people here can get rather mean how do you think you'll handle them?". By this time I was more amused than anything and also thinking what the hell have I gotten myself into, but again the smart-ass got into me and I sat up really straight then leaned over and looked him straight in the eye and said, "Mr. Brewer, have you ever heard that dynamite comes in small packages?" and gave him my best smile. The town manager, the one woman and a merchant burst out laughing. I am convinced that answer led me to this career.
I never intended to be in this type of work - heck - I never knew that I could be in this type of work. Of course Downtown Revitalization professionals didn't really happen until the 80's after nearly all of our historic downtowns had been adversely affected by the concept of "urban renewal". While I never intended to end up in this field I think I was destined for it since my childhood - after all my favorite song when I was a mere child was Petula Clark's "Downtown". As I near 50 and sometimes think about the careers that could have been I am glad my life took this career turn - I've met some great people across the state of North Carolina because of this work and more important my children learned words such as "facade", "parapet" and could spot a Greek Revival style or an art deco style all before they were six - a life skill that they do not appreciate fully now, but hey who knows???
So as 50 approaches and while there are sometimes some serious doubts about the way my career has gone or not gone - I think of my father-in-law who recently passed away at the age of 89 who with a smile would say, "I have lead a life with no regrets". You know, with each day as I reflect back I agree with that - "I have lived a life with no regrets." Would I change the way I have handled some situations, you bet I would, but did I learn from those situations, you bet I did. I can only hope that my children will have as much fun in their line of work as I have had in mine!
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