What Are You Going To Be When You Grow Up?

You are often told that your career path will surprise you, that you probably will end up in a job you could not have imagined having. For me, an understatement. My career ambitions have gone something like this: Ages 2-5 collaborate with imaginary friends, Nanine and Cocone, and Snow White and the 7 dwarfs about the days events, and discuss our current states of being and emotions. An imaginative 1988 form of Twitter, if you will…Around age 9 I decided when I grow up, teaching would probably be best, as I was thoroughly enjoying showing my younger siblings how to do things my way and you would get to color. By the10th grade I was going to open my own nightclub, preferably 7 stories, and each story was to have a different decade’s theme. Then by college I had almost decided I wanted to write, most strongly considering travel writing because of the simple fact I would get to travel, or write critiques on food and wine, for the obvious reason of eating and drinking the best of food and beverage. I also considered pursuing a career in children’s literature, for perhaps my stream of imagination that connected with imaginary friends like Nanine and Cocone and the 7 dwarfs could translate to children? Or, perhaps I would be a nutritionist; I would be so healthy and fit!

As college graduation approached I took a different path, which went as follows: 1. Year of voluntary service working in a low-income housing facility for alcoholics 2. Accountant for the University of Washington 3. Nanny. This was all over a 2-year period in Seattle, WA. I still can not find anything in common with these job choices, or how my fellow workers found me at all qualified enough for any of the aforementioned positions. It was time for me to move home to sunny California where I would consider pursuing the following career paths: 1. Consider opening a chain of falafel stands, quick but healthy, because there just aren’t enough good places to get falafel in L.A. 2. Go back to school for a Masters in Social Work. Los Angeles does have our nation’s largest homeless population. 3. Just get to work writing that children’s book based on the adventures of Nanine and Cocone. 4. Start “Green Organizer”, my own company that would organize people’s homes and offices, but assure nothing removed gets thrown away. 5. Become a wedding planner, because really, I just love love.

But, voila!, Christine Lenches-Hinkel came into my life. My career crisis is solved. When I found Christine and Waste Less Living Inc. I immediately understood that this great job would be a marriage of so many good jobs. It is education, event planning, student teaching, marketing, writing, and it is so very green! I have found a career that will teach me invaluable skills in many areas of business and relations, all while allowing me to work towards a great need and for a greater good. This is so much bigger than myself. This is more than asking the question “what makes me happy”, but it happens to make me so happy. It is a job that benefits all parties involved, vendor, client, distributor, company, earth too! and that is just quite fantastic. No, I will probably never open that L.A. nightclub or be responsible for the rise in L.A.’s falafel stands. But, I will help many a club to use the most eco-friendly products, or ensure that Middle-Eastern caterer that less falafel and pita will be wasted.

I am thrilled about what I’m going to be when I grow up.

I think Nanine, Cocone, and all seven dwarfs (possible exception of Grumpy) are proud too.