I woke up at eight o’clock sharp on a mission: finding a job. I put on my best dress, practiced my most business-like smile in the mirror, prayed. But even I couldn’t convince myself I’d be a good employee. I’d never had a real job, aside from a few part-time gigs. I hadn’t even finished college. Who on earth would want to hire someone like me?
I was 21, newly married. I always thought I’d be a full-time mom, and my husband supported that. But right before our wedding, we’d been in a minor car accident. I had a bad case of whiplash—other than that, we were okay. It was a scare though. A reminder that all sorts of unexpected things could happen to bust our tight budget. After much discussion, we had recently decided to postpone starting a family until we were more financially stable. The only way for that to happen any time soon was for me to go to work.
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With my resume—or lack of one—the pizza parlor in town was my best bet. There’d be no benefits, and I’d come home reeking of garlic, but what other choice did I have? I was halfway out the door when the phone rang.
“Hi, Paula, this is Dr. Armstrong.”
My chiropractor? I hadn’t seen her in six months. Shortly after the fender bender. My husband had made me an appointment to treat my whiplash. I was skeptical. I’d never been to a chiropractor and didn’t know what to expect.
To my pleasant surprise, though, Dr. Armstrong was extremely gentle and knowledgeable. It took her mere minutes to get rid of my pain. I hadn’t had any problems since.
Why was she calling me now?
“I know this is out of the blue,” Dr. Armstrong said. “But my practice is expanding and I’m looking for a receptionist. Would you be interested?”
I almost dropped the phone. “Of course,” I sputtered. “But, Dr. Armstrong, why me?
She hesitated. “Well, it’s the strangest thing. I haven’t been able to get you off my mind all week. When the position opened up, I knew I had to give you a call.”
Dr. Armstrong became my mentor, encouraged me to pursue my passions. Eventually I opened my own business and became the director of a non-profit. I earned more than enough to help support my family. As a chiropractor might say, everything was perfectly aligned.
