The New Frontier

I start my new job tomorrow and I'm excited but mostly terrified. Starting a new job is so weird. You know how after you've been at a job for a while you start to know everyone's moods and behaviors and you're in a routine? Well at a new job you have none of that. You can't tell if the girl at the next desk is a total bitch or just a bitch until she has her coffee. You can't tell if the guy down the hall complimented your shoes because he's gay or because he has a crazy shoe fetish and wants to tie you down and lick your shoes. All those things come with time.

I know I have said before that I am not a person who branches out to meet new people. I am definitely a stump. I'm happy with the people I know and feel no need to reach out and make new friends. The "silver and gold" song we learned in the Brownies was completely lost on me. I prefer the "keep the old" part over the "make new friends" part. That probably makes me come off as really shy or a huge bitch to people who don't know me. So at most jobs I have, I normally don't talk to anyone unless they talk to me first. I usually lighten up after the first month or so but until then, I'm quiet as a mouse.

Until I find out what kind of person I'm dealing with, I don't like to reveal too much. I don't want to start any battles about politics or religion or gay marriage or whatever by saying the wrong thing to the wrong person. Don't get me wrong, I'm going to keep on believing what I believe in but I just won't even bring it up to someone who obviously feels differently. It'll be interesting, that's for sure.

I'm also all up in the air about what to wear on my first day. I don't really know what my co-workers' style will be like or even the level of formality of their dress code. Sometimes I think people think the outfits I wear are a little out there so I don't want to shock anyone. I mean, I'm not on the cutting edge of fashion by any means compared to women in big cities but here in Titusville, I think I push the envelope a little. But, I don't want them to think that I dress bland either. On a first day I usually like to wear something cute that's just a little on the fashion edge but not too much. I want to introduce the fact that I'm semi-stylish and will be wearing heels and jewelry and that sometimes I will go to the more trendy side. I don't want to dress down for the first month and then show up wearing a bolero jacket and stilettos and have people wonder where it came from. I figure I can introduce things slowly and build up from there. That way, hopefully, it won't be too shocking for anyone.

I guess the worst part, for me, about starting a new job is having to answer questions about myself. It's just weird telling a stranger about your life. I have my standard, "I'm married, live in Titusville, and have two dogs" story which gets me by for a little bit. I'm sure I'll have to field the questions about if I have any children. That's always fun. People always want to talk about my hair. That's fine too but after a couple of times it gets annoying telling people that my hair is naturally curly and having to hear about how lucky I am to have curly hair. blah, blah, blah. It really throws them for a loop when I show up one day with straight hair. When people ask me about myself I should change my standard answer to, "stupidity drives me crazy, I can be very stubborn, I get psycho when I'm hungry, I can recite celebrity gossip like its the alphabet, I can be a real bitch sometimes, I despise mom jeans, and don't even talk to me about how great your church is or how you think the war in Iraq is going well." I think that might start me out on the wrong foot though.

Oh well, I guess it can only get easier after the first day. I'll just do everything I can to make it go smoothly. I am really excited to start a new career and to learn something different. I'm excited that I'm going to be a part of the space program because I think it's amazing. I'm excited for the financial boost this job will provide and for the amazing insurance that Joe and I will each be able to have. I'm excited to be at a real company with an employee handbook and actual policies and procedures. I am all around excited.

Well, I'm off to shave my legs and paint my toenails. Because, you know, you never get a second chance to make a first impression...