Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Shooting a gun, meeting the Mayor and other stuff

So the other stuff... Still working! Going around Gilbert and Mesa talking to strangers. I just love how as an adult you can break all your mothers rules! "Don't talk to strangers," mom always said, but now that is how I make my money. It's rather interesting. People everywhere all have great stories to tell and terrifying fears to express. I absolutely love meeting them all.

I met a woman named Paula. And even though I haven't told her, I think she has changed the course of my life. There was no reason for me to walk into her office. I am a skilled trades construction specialist and that is all I can manage. Paula is one of those people that seems to know everyone. She is both calming and exciting! Her stories are engulfing and what she shares can change the course of all the lives around her.
What did she share that so changed my path? Some deep secret? Simple she shared her desire to have her business succeed, her faith, and her friends. You won't get prejudice from Paula or any one she introduces you to. For me she guided me to a series of connections that impacts all of Arizona.

One invitation, of a shy business to business sales girl, brought me to breakfast with Towne of Gilbert Ambassadors, Senators, local business leaders and of course potential business contacts. From that one morning in a hotel conference room other things grew. For one I attended a separate industry round table event for Towne of Gilbert where I spoke to local government, industry leaders in construction and real estate development, and education leaders for the State of Arizona.

Most interesting is the repeated questions Mayor Lewis asked about what we see happening in our local labor force. It was weird to think that what my team at Command Center does is so critical to the health of our community. Who would have thought I would learn so much about construction labor needs and what needs to change to improve the future right here in Arizona. I guess if the Mayor of Gilbert had room in his budget to pay staff members to ask every construction boss in town what they thought for six months Command Center wouldn't have a role in guiding local education and local government funding.
As great as that feels, this week marked my 10 year wedding anniversary. I wonder if that's what it is called when a couple wildly goes and gets hitched? So 10 years later I am still married, but I finally got the most romantic and thoughtful gift ever, a trip to the shooting range. Yes, I finally got someone, my husband, to show me how to fire a real gun. I hope we do it again real soon.