Finally! Employed!

Hi everyone, Remy here. I know it'll be signed Chelsea, but it lies to you. I'll be coming in from time to time along with Chelsea to provide you with a dynamic reading experience.

Sometimes things happen that further prove life is a chain of circumstance. Each link opens up new possibilities. My entire life is a testament to this truth.

The result of the latest series of links is that I now have a job. I can scarcely believe after two years of fruitless searching, one just fell into my lap, just like that. I applied for Big Brothers, Big Sisters to do some fund-raising assistance, only to be told by the employer that the position was full. That was fine – I wasn’t expecting to get it in the first place. I sent the lady a thank-you note, just because she got back to me so fast. Ten minutes later she called and asked me if I’d like her to forward my resume to Cedarwood Farms, a local organic farm near Nanaimo. Sure, I thought, why not? After two years, I was getting extremely desperate.

That same night (Thursday) Cedarwood Farms contacted me and asked me to come for an interview at 9:45 the next morning, as they wanted the position filled by Monday. After scrambling to figure out a bus route that would take me out of Nanaimo - which turned out to be less hassle than I thought – I went to the interview, honestly not expecting much. I’d told them I was visually impaired ahead of time, since I didn’t want to get all the way to Cedar only to find that was a big deal, but they said it was only a problem for them if it was a problem for me. Well that was certainly nice to hear for a change.
I tried not to be excited as I made the trip to Cedar. I was already feeling odd about going to an interview in casual clothing (something which they asked me to do). The night before we’d agreed that I’d be at a certain stop at a certain time and would be given a ride the rest of the way (which is something they do for all their employees and volunteers). When the time came and we were still not at the stop, I called the woman I was to meet, just to let her know I’d be a few minutes.
“Oh, I’m pretty sure I just saw you drive past,” she said to my horror.
After profusely apologizing and trying to figure things out, it turned out the bus did a loop around Cedar, and what she’d seen was no big deal. I was let off at the correct stop, and the woman was fine with the mix-up, even though it was about ten minutes later than it should have been. All sorts of special, that. Talk about a great first impression.
The interview was conducted in what appeared to be a storage room converted into a make-shift office, by a group of three people. They asked me a lot of questions about myself, my schooling, my visual impairment and finally what I could provide them. It was a really laid-back and easy interview. I didn’t feel intimidated or uncertain. I learned more about the farm. They grow organic produce and raise goats, chickens and something else I can’t recall. They work together with members of the community who have some form of disability, or who have had trouble finding work to teach them to farm, which provides them with experience and a reference. There’s a lot to it, and to be honest I still don’t know all the details. I’ll post more of the specifics as I learn them.
One of the most profound questions they asked me was this: “If you were working with a student who seemed somewhat resistant to your instruction, how would you go about helping them?”
I told them that everyone is different, and when one method works for one, it might fail with another. It’s important to get to know the individuals, to examine their personalities and discover what manner of learning best suits them. This marks one of the few times where I worded it better verbally than in writing, and they were quite pleased with my answer.
They took me out into the blazing sunlight while they conversed. By then I was growing excited in spite of myself. I had a really good feeling. I sat in silence, enjoying the tranquility in spite of the construction going on a short distance away – they were building a kitchen for September. Insects buzzed languidly around my head, and a few of the more bold creatures came to see what I was. Finally Gui, one of the interviewers came to collect me. We went to his car so he could drive me back to the bus stop. He was rather silent, and I began to grow apprehensive once more. One of the other workers introduced himself before I left. Everyone seemed really friendly there. I told him I hoped I’d see him around soon, just to keep up appearances. I was trying to project an air of confidence I didn’t really feel.
During the ride home, after some light conversation I was offered the job. I honestly wasn’t expecting to be told right then and there in either case. I really appreciated that.
I’m really excited about the job, though I pray I’ll prove valuable. I’m excited to be doing something that truly matters, and I want to do my best at it. I’ll likely be chronicling my progress and experiences in the coming days. It’ll be a lot of learning, and at the very least I’ll be learning some valuable skills.