Posted on 06/14/2015 at 09:57 PM
| Filed Under Blogs
About the races: I figure you never know unless you try. And even if I end up walking, I'll still finish. I'm not competing against anyone other than myself.
Bookstores: Once a week in smaller independants is usually plenty. My bookstore of choice in high school was a tiny independant run by a guy who just liked books. I think he was independantly wealthy, so it was more for the fun of it rather than worrying about making ends meet. Anyway, Ewing knew all his regulars and their reading tastes and would stash books under the counter for his favorites. I'd walk in, and he'd pull out a book and say "This came in last week. I think you'll really enjoy it." and he was never wrong.
As for how I got my start in parks... Pure dumb luck and the right place at the right time. I grew up three miles away from a state historic site, and just before the end of my senior year of high school, my best friend showed up with a job application for me for the park. There were two openings, and I think he figured he'd get one and I'd get the other. I got one, he got none. I felt bad, but not bad enough to turn the job down. It was only supposed to be for that summer, but it clicked, and my boss told me he felt I had a career in parks and he started teaching me maintenance, how to do the office paperwork, how to give guided walks, and other things that didn't pertain to my position as park receptionist (read: greets the public, collects fees, answers the phone, and answers questions). He also kept after me to rise up through the ranks and give me my second big break and my first promotion when he transferred to another park. I still call him every once in a while when I have a question or a dilemma, so I guess he's still my mentor.