Am I Dreaming?

The phone call came right on time.

I was up one night tinkering away at my keyboard when I heard my cell phone ring. It was my former Pastor from back in Gainesville. He told me he was doing research on companies and found one that he wanted to tell me about. He began to read a description of a PR firm that was Christian based and minority owned. The projects they worked on seemed like so much fun and the creativity associated with the firm oozed from the description. Not only do they work with developing businesses and events, they also have an in-house studio where they film commercials and work on graphic design and photography. And it’s all owned and operated by a Black woman.

“Wow. That sounds great. Is that in Gainesville?”
“No, it’s in North Miami Beach.”
“Really, what’s the web address? Are they hiring?”
“I don’t know,” he says and gives me the web address. “This seems to be a great group to work in terms of ministry.”

I shrug my shoulders and hang up the phone. Never one to sleep on an opportunity to slide my resume to someone, I quickly punch in the web address and find the link that says contact us.

I type into the form: Hi, my name is Ms. Tee and I am a creative, talented writer and I believe that your business might be a good match for my skills. Please let me know who I need to pass my resume to. Thanks for your attention.

I only leave my email address on the form. I’m thinking they’ll email me with some contact info so that I can personalize my resume and cover letter.

The next morning I’m at work and my phone rings. Since a volunteer is sitting at my desk she picks up my phone. I see her pause as she asks who is calling. Damn, it’s MY phone..~rolls eyes~

“Ms. Tee, it’s Tammy from XYZ PR Firm.”

My eyes grow wide. Wait a minute. Is that the company that I just sent an email to last night? But, I didn’t leave my phone number?

I take the phone and try to sound cheerful as I greet the woman.

“Hi, this is Ms. Tee.”
“Hi, goodmorning. Our company president asked me to give you a call and give you her email address so that you can send in your resume.”
I pause, not believing what I am hearing.
“Uh, yeah. Sure.”
I write down the email address and as soon as 11 am hits I’m out the door and running to my car to get home to fix my resume and send it.

I send it in and call back two days later to check up on it. Tammy says she will have the president call me back as soon as she can.

Meanwhile I go back to work and I’m dealing with so much drama. I’m requesting vacation time because I have only taken two days of my two weeks but my Director keeps telling me no. She says that I should take a day off every now and then and that I can’t take a full week. She then says that she is concerned that I do not seem to be enthusiastic about the position anymore and that I’m making too many mistakes. She tells me that I should decide if this is the right job for me.

This really hurts me because I know that I am making some mistakes in the new program I’m learning and managing the database but I’m trying my best and I always give 100% on projects. It hurt even more because it caused me to doubt my work ethic a little bit. I know that this is not my passion but I am passionate about helping people, which I do a lot of and I remind my Director of this.

She says that we will see how the next few weeks go and in the meantime she has me training a volunteer who is helping out in the office. The volunteer is a parent and has always been a treat to be around because of her sweet demeanor so I don’t mind working with her and teaching her what I know.

Things come to a head when my Director tells me that she doesn’t think it is a good idea for me to apply for my children to go to school there because, “What will happen when you leave? If you’re applying for them under the premise that you will receive a tuition remission how will you pay for them when you leave here?”

I’m confused. Who said I was leaving?

But I just smile and I understand. She has said all she has needed to say. Once again, I don’t fit in. I’m not “Energetic” enough for her and the staff. I try to explain to her that I don’t stress about this job at all and she suggests that I should be more enthused about what’s going on.

I don’t get it. What more do I need to do? I come everyday and participate and give what I can give.

It starts to get to me because once again..damn… Another uncomfortable situation. But this time it’s different because I have never had anyone I worked for complain about my WORK. Usually it’s my lack of socializing that gets noticed.

So I’m confused and I’m tired and I need a break badly but I have to go on and finish my writing projects. Remember the time I took my kids to the Family Club? Well, I called our major newspaper and told them about it and I convinced the editor to let me write a story about it. She was hesitant at first but after seeing my writing samples she said she’d give me a shot. If I can become a regular freelance writer for the Miami Herald I have really made it because that paper is extremely difficult to work for. When I first came down here they told me I had to start small with the Neighbors section and work my way up to the regular paper. Somehow, some way, I have favor and now I’m getting PAID to write this story. And it’s almost done! I can’t wait to link it!

So in the midst of the craziness at work I’m being blessed with so many new ideas for writing projects and freelance opportunities.

This Saturday I got up and I cooked breakfast for my sons then I sat down to write but ofcourse I couldn’t because they really wanted my attention. My phone rang at 11 am and I answered with a yawn then I say straight up in my bed.

It was the president of XYZ PR Firm. She’s calling ME, on a Saturday.

We chat a little bit about my current job, what she’s looking for and how she thinks that I will fit into her Firm. I’m definately at a loss for words because first of all, I don’t know what position I’m interviewing for. All I know is that I’m creative and driven and I excel at anything I put real effort into.

She asks if I can come by and meet with her in a few hours. I tell her SURE. As soon as I hang up I’m dialing number after number and no one is answering. Sometimes I feel like my friends SAY they’ll be there for me but when I really need their butts I can’t find them. I need someone to watch my kids for me while I go to this meeting. My little sister is getting her hair done and my Mama isn’t answering her phone.

I call my Mama’s cell phone and she answers it with an attitude. I explain to her that I have a job interview and I need her to watch my kids and she agrees but I can tell she’s busy with her tax clients and doesn’t really want to. But oh well, as long as she says yes.

I drop them off and high tail it back home to print out some writing samples and get dressed for the meeting. The business is very close to where I live so it takes me about 10 minutes to drive over there.

When I ring the doorbell she answers with a pleasant smile and a war handshake. She shows me around the 20,000 square foot building and we sit down in her office. She guestures toward a 3 inch stack of papers held together by a rubber band that is sitting on her shelf.

“We put an ad out for this position and those are all the responses that we received. You never even saw our ad did you?”

“No. I didn’t.”

“Well, how did you hear about my company?’

“Well, my former Pastor from my time in Gainesville called me up one night and gave me your web address. I decided to send you a note and here I am.”

She smiled and looked at me in amazement. “That is amazing! This is sooo GOD!”

I smiled back. I didn’t know what to say.

“You don’t have any agency experience which is your only weakness. But I’m willing to take a chance with you if you’d like. We can start at this salary and negotiate further once your 3 month probation period is over. Why don’t you think about it and let me know on Monday or Tuesday. We have so many accounts that I’m already thinking on having you work with. One of them is the Black Wire Service that I own which distrubutes African American news all across the country.”

I’m sitting there dumbfounded.

I can’t believe this.

I have a job offer on a Saturday making more than I make now and I’ll get to learn about PR and have connections to a country wide wire service.

Am I dreaming?

During our phone interview she even asked me where i see myself in 5 years and I confidently told her, “I plan to become a WORLD INSPIRATION LEADER. I will be a best selling author and speaker traveling and uplifting the masses while empowering them to change their lives.”

I drove away in a seemingly drunken state.

I called my old Pastor to tell him what happened but he didn’t answer.

Did this really happen to me?

Do I really get to go into work tomorrow and resign?

God really loves me so much. So much. I..I don’t deserve this.

I can’t believe it. Is this for real? I feel like someone is playing with me.

How can all of my dreams be coming true?

I am so HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!