Have you ever stopped to think about why we choose the different professions that we do? Many times you see children follow in the footsteps of their parents when it comes to professions especially law enforcement, attorneys and medical professions. I guess a part of this is exposure to the field and knowledge of different aspects of the jobs from watching our parents. I went into the social services field because I was impressed with the job the hospital social worker did in helping us make plans for my dad when he had a heart attack. Prior to that experience I did not know anything about social work.
I worked in the field of social work for over twenty years. It is a low paying profession, however there is the satisfaction of knowing that you have helped better someone’s life through the services you help them access. I am glad that I chose the career, but I knew I needed to have a break from it. Dealing with people’s problems and issues day after day year after year has a way of taking a toll on you. I have always enjoyed decorating. This was my way of escaping the pain and emotions that I faced during the week. I have painted every room in my home various colors through the years. I love to rearrange furniture and change the art work on the walls. My husband suggested that I take some interior design courses. He feels that I have skills in this are and it would be a nice change of pace for me. I had never considered taking interior design courses until he mentioned it. Once I started thinking about it I thought it would be fun to work with people on arranging their homes rather than arranging for their mental health needs. I was already very comfortable in interviewing people and working with them in their homes, we would just have a different focus.
I found the closest community college that offered interior design courses and went to talk to the instructors. I told them that I knew that I would be the oldest one in the class but I thought I would be able to handle this. They assured me that this was not true. They have people switching careers all the time and that the student population was made up of a wide range of ages. As I began to take the interior design courses I realized that this was very true. The majority of the students were traditional college age, but there were enough of us old students around that I did not feel like I stood out. I am so glad that I was open minded enough to consider doing something else. It is exciting to have a whole new career opening up for me.