When I was in college, I took a conceptual physics class. It was required. I did not do so voluntarily although I was relieved to learn that there was not a lot of math involved. I do love science. Physics is just a bit of a reach for me. Many days and nights were spent sitting in a coffee shop with my husband trying to bend our brains around the latest thought experiment. But, I remember the one thing that my professor jammed into my resistant mind:
There are these things that are considered mathematical constants. We talked about the speed of light
ad nauseum. However, the only real constant in the universe is change. The irony of that resonated with me then. It still does today.
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| Look at those carrots! |
I've changed jobs again. This may come as no surprise to most. In the beginning, the work at the sand mine was interesting and challenging. After a few months, it became unfulfilling, repetitive, and depressing. The people there were, and presumably still are, unhappy and unmotivated and singularly unkind to one another. It isn't the place for me. I gave it eight months. The final straw came when I nearly suffered frostbite one very cold December day working in the load out bay. Think about that for a minute:
I nearly got frostbite for fracking sand.
Enough is enough.
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| Sunrise at the sand mine...might have been sunset. I can't remember now... |
Now I've taken a job at a meat processing facility for a rather large company. We make ready-to-eat foods. My job is in Food Safety and Quality Assurance. I monitor for environmental issues. I perform equipment inspections. I do GMP audits. It is my job to monitor the food we produce and help to ensure it is safe from contaminants. There are those who would argue that the 'food' we make is not something that people ought to eat on a regular basis. I will agree without hesitation that hot dogs and frozen pizza are not exactly prime cuisine. But, the fact remains that people feed this stuff to their kids. They should at least be able to do so without worrying that it might infect them with something awful.
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| Look at that dinker! |
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Fundamentally, my work is satisfying in that I feel I am performing a function that society as a whole needs. Ensuring the safety of the food web is an important component of feeding the general population any way you look at it. In a perfect world, everyone would eat wholesome food that is locally grown and very fresh...they would know the face and the name of the person who grew it. In the real world, people eat what they like and can afford. For many it is hot dogs and frozen pizza.
The work that I do for money has strengthened my resolve to continue the other work that I do: raising lean rabbit meat, growing organic vegetables, and producing handmade bath items for the whole family. I am stepping back into the role of entrepreneur and stocking up on fresh batches of soap.
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| One of my seasonal soaps called Mother's Day. It has a floral bouquet fragrance. |
All of this has lead me more or less full circle back to where I know I need to be. The constant of change has lead me to learn that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
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| I don't know who made this meme. But, I love it. |
It all comes down to balance. Balance is the thing I've been searching and striving to find for years. Maybe some day, I'll get it right. Until then, I'll be gardening.
