New Endings?

Although this is not about the New Year, the timing seems fitting enough. I've been doing some thinking. I will be graduating college in less than a year now...a little late but better late than never right? It means a lot of "lasts": last formal dance at school, last spring semester with my friends, last time I hunt for a roommate to apply for housing with, last honors course in the Great Books curriculum (YES!!!) the list goes on an on and on. 

One thing I've been thinking a lot about though is that it is my last semester on the grounds crew. It was an unlikely job for me to get in the first place. To this day I wonder why I was hired for it freshman year. I'm a city girl, I've never worked on a farm like some of my co-workers, never in a greenhouse or a plant nursery. When asked if I had experience I said "Well we tilled my front yard once and my brother's got a garden so I can water stuff." STUFF I used the word stuff when applying for a job WHY IN THE WORLD DID THEY HIRE ME? I think the more important question though is what have I learned from this job experience?

First would be to be prepared for questions when you turn in an application at a job fair, on the spot interviews can tell a lot about a person.

Something else I have to think back on is that I did not want the job at all. I remember during orientation seeing a girl on the grounds crew sweeping cigarettes and I thought to myself "now there is a job I do not want!" Ha Ha well little did I know that somewhere around six applications later I would only get 2 phone calls. One saying sorry, the other was my new boss telling me to come on in to work and get started. A little lesson in humility there.

I learned how to appreciate all people who do manual labor, and those other tasks no one wants to do...shoveling snow in 7 degree weather at 9 am on a Saturday? been there! cleaning up after that free concert? and my personal favorite trash duty. These parts of my job I may not like, but I have learned from them to better appreciate workers in general. 

I've learned how to work for something that I want to accomplish. I'm paying for myself to go to college. My parents are not funding my education. The grounds crew is hard work. It is physically challenging and taxing on my body, but it allows me to go to school, and get my degree. It makes me appreciate my classes even if I sometimes find them boring. 

I've learned how to take directions, and I've learned a lot from them. Being a city girl on the grounds crew is no easy task! I've had to learn how to drive a pick-up with a plow on it, specific ways to prune plants, the names of plants, how to use a leaf blower and so much more. This took time. Over 4 years I have learned so much! 

I look back on these things that I've learned, and more, from this job and I am sad that it is ending. I almost cannot believe it. What will I do without the watchful and caring eyes of my bosses? Where will I find myself as this job ends and I look towards starting my career? It is an ending. This job will be the first one I ever quit without the intention of coming back; Not because I dislike the job, but because my work here is done. It is a weird time, but it is a new experience I can learn from. I can also used what I've learned from the grounds crew as I move towards my career (especially the on the spot interview part). It will be an adventure.