At just the right time
I’ve been thinking about our pea tree and remembering one day this past Spring. There were 27 buds on the tree that day in the beginning of May and I was amazed to see the little buds emerging from what had previously been thin, bare branches. I had just studied those branches a few days earlier and had seen no signs of buds. Apparently the past six sunny days had delivered just right amount of sun needed to coax those little buds forth from the bark that had appeared lifeless until today. I called my daughters over and showed them the tiny evidences of new life.

My girls wanted to know if it was the sun that had encouraged the buds to surface? I explained that there were many events during the previous seasons that had helped these buds to form.

For example, I explained how the harsh, cold rains of November had played their part by providing adequate water necessary for proper cell development when Spring thaw arrived. The long winter, too, had contributed, and without the deep chill of winter the tree might have begun to bud too early only to have its tender shoots die when colder winter temperatures arrived.

To us it certainly looked as if those buds had just appeared but truth is, they wouldn’t have appeared at all had the tree not been subjected to some harsh weather and bitter cold temperatures.

Yesterday, I remembered that conversion when admiring our pea tree, with it’s intertwining branches now displaying their dense, green foliage. You see, yesterday I was let go from my job of 4 ½ years and I feel somewhat like that tree in November when it was being pelted by stinging, chilling rain.

Being let go from a job hurts and this could be difficult time, however, I know Spring will come and that this is a necessary part of preparing me for new growth. I have a lot of work to do to prepare for my job search but I have no doubt that eventually there are going to be new buds in my life and they are going to be beautiful.

Wide Brush Painting
If you had asked me a month ago if I thought "Women in Business" was offering topics that were of interest to as wide a variety of women as possible I would have confidently answered YES! After all, I've been working in business for over 15 years and have interacted with women involved in many different careers. I’ve known a gymnastics school owner, freelance artists and writers, theatre company owner, teachers, professors, nurses, doctors, administrative assistants, sales representatives, receptionists, customer service representatives and even presidents. If anyone had a healthy world view it was me. Was I wrong!

That was a month ago, before I met such amazing people as Nancy Baird (HVAC Technician), Angie Kelly (Electrician), Jenn Beaupre (Cabinetamaker Co-op Student), Sarah Lord (Construction Craft Worker), Cathy Corrigan (Plumber) and Kathy Anyan (Chef) - six women working in various skilled trades in Durham Region, Ontario, whose stories will appear as part of a poster campaign "Divas of the Trades" to be launched in November 2005 by the Durham Region Local Training Board.

You see, I was hired to interview these women and write up their individual stories about how they ended up working in their chosen trades. What an interesting and eye opening experience it has been for me.

I’ve learned that for all my “experience” I was oblivious to an entire segment of working women. I was painting with a wide brush and not capturing the true picture at all.

Fact is, there are so many jobs women are tackling in the trades. They are excelling as electricians, HVACs, carpenters, plumbers, chefs, cabinet makers and the list just goes on. There is a wealth of non-traditional jobs for women. (This list shows some examples of these). Trades work is an area wide open for women and these jobs offer excellent earning potential and the potential for real job satisfaction. Who knew?

Imagine not having to endure office politics or concern yourself with having the right fashion each morning. What about not having to fight the traffic only to arrive at work and stare at your cubicle walls for the rest of the day. Women in trades just don’t have these concerns and at the end of the day they know exactly what they’ve accomplished through their own labour and with their own hands.

There is a time and place for painting with a wide brush, like when you are working on a canvas with oil paint or acrylics but you need to be able to get at the details if you want to present the full picture.

What I’ve learned from these women is that women’s work shouldn’t be stereotyped. The experiences and stories of these trades women are as valuable as those of the rest of us who, like me, do sit in cubicles all day. We are all working women and are striving to make valuable contributions no matter what careers we are involved in.

These are some of the reasons why we at All Things Girl have changed the name of this section from “Women in Business” to "On the Job". We want all of you - administrative assistants, managers, presidents, stay-at-home moms, teachers, professors, writers, students, doctors, as well as carpenters, HVACs, plumbers, chefs, dental technicians and electricians - to feel welcome in this section and hopefully find stories and topics that will bring you back.

(NOTE: This is an article soon to be published in the August '05 issue of All Things Girl which will be available online Aug. 1 at www.allthingsgirl.com).