I’m not a fan of No Doubt, but this song feels very applicable right now.
I applied for a position as a tree-trimmer and general laborer at a local yard-care company. They laughed me out the door.
Just for future reference, take a look at my hands in the photos below.
I realize this is not a humble thing to do, but I need to extol on the virtues of my hands for a moment. Did you wonder why my blog is called The Semi-Lost Art of Humility? Because I am often humbled in life by all of the little ‘AHA!’ moments that strike me daily. Yet, I still have my very human, very selfish moments that compete for face-time. Right now, I am afraid I am going to be less than humble.
My hands are rather unique. For someone my age, I have hands with the wrinkles of someone much older and experienced in life. My hands are comparable in size to the hands of most ten-year-old children … my hands are quite small (but then, I’m a small woman). My hands are not soft or smooth or pretty to look at. They are square, muscular, callused, rough. My nails are short, they chip easily, and I have to clean them throughout the day because they get dirty. Why? I am forever scrubbing down my kitchen and bathroom, or taking kids I babysit to a local park, or taking Lucy (my dog) for a run on the canal, or helping the elderly widowed great-aunt of a former co-worker’s brother-in-law (I think?) with weeding their backyard, or volunteering my time and efforts to someone or something outside of my home. I am outside as often as I am inside. I can type over 70 words per minute if an office setting negates that of me. I at one time was trained for and made my living as an artist, so my hands are adept at producing drawings and paintings. My hands are wrinkled, callused, and rough for many good and worthwhile reasons. I do realize that I will need much more than my hands to be considered valuable in the workforce and in society overall.
I’m not just a girl. I’m a grown woman. I try to contribute a bit of good to the world around me. I am an honest person, and I am very much willing to work. If I have to get my hands dirty and sweat in the process, I am not going to sit and pout. I will roll up my sleeves and grab a shovel so I can dig in. Just give me a chance, please.
