Practical Lessons

Two of many things my mom taught me growing up were how to organize things and how to write with good grammar. As far as I can recall, I wasn't keen on either one. I believe, for example, that Legos should be mixed all together, not sorted into different compartments.  I was exasperated when told to write names and dates on my papers. I'm told that I really didn't like the grammar portion of our homeschool program.

It just so happens, though, that the jobs I've had for the past year depend on these skills. At the herbarium, I sort and catalog plant specimens, sighing with exasperation when the collector hasn't written their name on a specimen or the date it was collected. I fed myself last summer mostly by correcting grammar and editing stories for various clients, and it's looking like I'll be doing the same thing for at least part of this summer. I've enjoyed both of these jobs a lot. It's funny how things work out like that.