Get on your j-o-b…

“Excuse me. Could you help me? My eye came off.” Such a priceless quote from a little one an intern and I conducted a presentation for. One of the many curricula that we developed for our education and outreach is a puppet making activity for K-2 grade kids… a creative way to teach little ones how tobacco affects your body, and how to talk to adults about not smoking around them and possibly quitting. I love doing presentations. I cannot always say that I have been a fan of doing so… especially with my healthy dose of self-doubt and anxiety… but I really like it now. Today was presentation heavy… after working with the little ones for about an hour, it was off to talking to 11th and 12th grade students of color about seeking and pursuing careers in health… it’s amazing to see how young folks are eager and willing to step up and represent in providing just and quality service to the folks that they will soon serve. It was so empowering… I was on a panel of a few colleagues, and now a new contact. The new acquaintance’s name is Ruby and she works on environmental health issues for Alameda County. Although she was born in the U.S., she was raised in Mexico… she talk about the internal and external racism experienced as she strove to make positive change in her community and abroad. One of the dopest things she did was network with her contacts in El Paso, Texas and organized a concert for their sister city, Juarez, Mexico, which was geared towards raising money for a domestic violence center in Juarez… as violence against women is a huge public health issue there. Simply amazing. Later that day, my intern and I did a comprehensive presentation to a group of women on tobacco – focusing on health affects, advertising, marijuana, etc. It was such a wonderful learning/teaching experience. On that makes you all warm and fuzzy on the inside.

I can’t help but think about all the jobs I have had in my lifetime… some even at the same time:

Landscaper
Gardener
Seamstress
Tutor
Writing program coordinator
Dance instructor
Aerobics instructor
Project coordinator
Community health worker
Anesthesiologist technician assistant
Public health intern
Fan club volunteer
Resource center volunteer
Public health consultant
Secret agent

Ok, maybe not the last one… but then again, you never know.
I can say that I am fortunate to have had jobs that I have really loved and learned so much from… not to mention the countless lifetime relationships I was able to make in the process. All of them required a lot of hard work, focus, and passion, and left me feeling fulfilled during and after each experience. The pay may not have been the greatest for each of them… but who would turn compensation in the form of hugs, genuine smiles and support, and periodic words of appreciation. And it doesn’t hurt to get 4th row tickets to see one of your favorite artist, AND take a pic with her backstage!!!
See the pic here:

http://www.xanga.com/Katssoapopera/510571479/item.html