Temping

At one point during my journey, I found myself constantly looking for stable employment. I was living far from home as a transplant in another state. I held on tightly to one of my Unity pamphlets and repeatedly read the quoted line, “Then saith He unto his disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few.”‘ (Matthew 9:37). It took a while for the meaning to sink in, but it gave me the courage to get out there and try to find work again.

I was hired on my first temp job and there I learned to stuff envelopes, neatly fold business letters and file in a filing room. One job led to another, and I ended getting a proofreading job through another temp agency in that state.

Now, as, I look back, I am stunned by the multiple skills that I have acquired along the way while keeping the cash flowing in to pay bills. I have learned to use business etiquette as I answered corporate phones. I cheerily greeted weary travelers who were coming into offices for high-powered meetings while working as a receptionist.

Temping also allowed me to manage different executives’ calendars and input data into an intricate engineering program. I even learned how to collate sheets and build presentation notebooks for an upcoming conference. I had to use Excel in-depth for one job and mastered using the sum icon to calculate the numbers on the spreadsheet.

Very importantly, during those years of temping in different cities, I learned how to build slide presentations. I even purchased a couple of how-to books to guide me as I continually worked on perfecting my ability to do it efficiently. At the time, I could not see that I was collecting and gathering a wide variety of things that I can now do with a level of ease.

Along with all of those temp jobs, there were so many other accolades. The settings were often refined and located in luxurious skyscrapers with breathtaking views. There were sometimes fresh cut flowers sitting around those offices to add to the welcoming atmosphere. I was also invited to a quite a few high-end office parties where the ambience was beautiful as I met many wonderful people along the way.

So, no. I did not get the big job with the fancy title. I did not get the 30-plus year retirement. I did not get the gold watch. But Lord, I received so very much more! And now, many of those skills still serve me today as a continue to work and labor during these present moments.

Lynn M.
January 15, 2022