Never Say Never!

I have a new job. Never in a million years would I have thought I'd be working in a place surrounded by kids, but here I am, the new accounting and HR manager for Boys & Girls Club of Maui. And it's great!

For those of you who don't know know, we have a "child-free" household. I often thought that kids really annoyed me, but I'm coming to realize that it's not so much the kids, but their bad behavior and/or lack of parental guidance. I love my nieces and nephew dearly and am happy to be the "Auntie," but having children of my own appeals to me less and less the older I get.

I went through one period of baby lust in my early 20's, when all of my peers were having kids. It all seemed so sweet and romantic when they came to visit. Then you hear about the horrors: fevers, earaches, crankiness, temper tantrums, lack of babysitters, lack of free "me-time," unhappy husbands, lack of "we-time," rotten teenagers and more, then the shine sort of wears off. I know of a few women my age (late 30's) with children of various ages who, despite the fact that they love their kids, appear to be suffering from something I call "baby regret." They bought into the family program and are surprised that they got much more than they bargained for. Call me spoiled or selfish, but I can't imagine giving up or sharing the time I have with my husband, our family and friends, our pets, or my creative time - my schedule is full.

But back to the job...

The kids here at the club are friendly and well-mannered. They are here to have a good time, learn, and share experiences with their friends. I am fairly well sequestered in my office dealing with the day-to-day accounting and staff HR issues, but the interactions I have with the kids are always positive (so far, and I hope it stays that way!). The adults are warm and caring and are great to have as co-workers. I feel like I am in an environment with people I can relate to who are on my level and it's nice.

Even with the ruckus in the club held to a dull roar by the steel door of my office, the warm and friendly atmosphere of 100+ kids having a good time is palpable, and I like it!