Who Am I? I'm Jean Valjean!
OK, pardon my Les Miserables reference. I couldn't help myself.
Anyway, as I posted previously, I started grooming school. Honestly, I'm enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would. I wasn't really excited about starting. It was something I needed to do for work, but it involves driving 4 hours every day and grooming was never really something I had a lot of interest in. Still, I knew I had to do it. What I'm finding is that I'm learning a lot about myself.
I'm the boss.
At first, what I thought I liked most about school was that I didn't have to be the boss. People weren't looking to me for advice, and I didn't have to be responsible for anything. What I quickly realized, though, is that I was constantly jumping in to give advice. I've worked with dogs longer than anyone else in the class, so I'm always giving tips on how to handle a dog or how to trim nails. I even pseudo-reprimanded someone for leaving a towel in with a dog until I realized it wasn't my job to reprimand (and I quickly changed to just "giving advice"). So, apparently a large part of me enjoys being the boss. And when I make a mistake, I'm happy to own up to it. So, here's my new saying: Some say I'm bossy, but really I'm the boss.
I know a lot about dogs.
I mean A LOT about dogs. Sure, this may seem like common sense. I've been a trainer for 6 years, I own a kennel, and I enjoy research. Still, there are plenty of times when I feel insecure. I often feel like the information I know is common knowledge. At school, most of the students haven't had any dog experience (other than their own pets), so I'm able to find out what's truly common knowledge. Do you know what I found out? I know a lot! A lot of stuff that isn't common knowledge. A lot of the things that are being taught, I've taught to numerous other people. I can practically finish the instructor's sentences because they're sentences I've said before. It's a huge ego-boost.
I kind of like grooming.
While I still prefer training, grooming isn't terrible, and it's actually kind of fun. I often look forward to school (although not the drive), and I enjoy the process. Sometimes it's nice to just be able to focus on your own work and not have be extroverted. Grooming is great for my introvert side.
So, there ya have it. That has been my life for the past month. The biggest downside to everything is my lack of time to myself or with my family. It won't last forever, though, and at least I'm enjoying it.
