First Days

First days suck.

The only first day that would be fabulous would be the first day as a multi-millionaire.  That would be just, well...WOW!!

But other first days suck.

First day at a job...huge suckage factor.

This morning, I get to the new building and I can't even find the front door.  Well, that's not exactly true.  I can find a door, at the front of the building, but...there's this sign that says, "EMPLOYEES without a valid pass must report to security at the NE entrance."

Are you kidding me?  No one told me there was going to be a test right off the bat.  So, I walk around the corner to what I think is the NE side of the building, and low and behold, the same sign.  I figure that they wouldn't post a sign like that if I were actually at the NE entrance to the building, but it's freezing cold outside, so I buzz the buzzer anyways.  Security lets me in (phew!) and all I see for approximately two city blocks is mail.  Mail.  Everywhere.  No one's waiting for me with a sign that says "New Supervisor Catherine Welcome!"  Nothing.  I see a small grouping of people, so I decide the best thing to do is to go hang out with the people.  My people.  My new people.  So, I go and I wait, and I stand there.  And I stick out like a sore thumb.  Finally, someone takes pity on me and shows me where all the supervisors are hiding. 

The rest of the day went kind of like that. 

People I don't recognize moving all over the place, mail everywhere (still!!!) and I'm lost.  I waited for 10 minutes while someone *forgot* about me, and then remembered I was waiting, and then forgot again...all I needed to do to find out where our end of shift paperwork was.  I hate being the person who doesn't know...I really, really like being the know person. 

But what's really bothering me?  I mean, my employees are really very nice.  I've really been blessed with very nice employees where ever I go.  That's not the problem.

And then it hits me. 

I'm in a warehouse.  I'm wearing steel toed boots and a bright yellow safety vest.

It's so not glamorous.

At all.

I'm not looking for red carpet and cameras.  I really don't want to be movie star.

But here I look around and I don't see anything exciting.  Or challenging.  The only difference a month from now is that I might remember where the washrooms are located.  Maybe it would be way more fun if we could do mail in ball gowns and tuxedos.  Maybe if the walls were painted pink instead of blahhhhhhhh.  Wasn't I meant for way, way more than parcels?  Isn't there more?  Once again, I find myself feeling homesick for my old employees, too.

Then I remind myself that first days are always a little rough.  And that I have a fabulous little boy waiting for me at home.  That's what makes all this worth it.