One thing I’ve learned as I’ve gotten older is to appreciate past jobs I’ve had and the experiences I’ve been able to gain from them.
Even a simple job like working retail (Old Navy) while I was in college taught me how to deal with many different customers including some who would not like to deal with what used to be a crazy and busy store during the holiday season.
Babysitting and a job as a summer day camp counselor helped me learn how to watch children and what type of management to use to oversee the many different personalities of young campers.
That brings me to my brief time as coordinator of the pool (and fitness center). There was a lot I learned while managing the pool, some things more simple than others. Aside from managing lifeguards and pool usage which were two of the hardest tasks, there were some easier things I did which I’m finding helpful now.
One of those easy things is the constant scanning of the surface I would do every time I entered the pool. I had to daily pool checks and would make sure there were no objects in the pool including leaves, googles, and whatever else ends up on the bottom of a pool (you don’t really want to know-tampons, snakes a few times and yes the dreaded poop during the kids swim program!)
But the bigger reason for the constant pool scans besides the daily check that it was clean was for safety. I did constant head checks while I was on the pool deck and the pool was in use, especially during summer camp swim. I learned how to see multiple angles of the pool and would walk around the entire session to ensure I could account for all our campers.
I would also have to make sure the pool deck and locker rooms were clear so there were no hazards, which is especially important since swimmers exit a pool wet.
So where am I going with the value of all these pool scans and deck checks? Since my brain surgery I had to learn to walk with a cane and really pay attention to where I’m walking so I don’t fall. I’m finally walking around the house without a cane and just began walking outside without one.
One of the first things I made sure to do as I essentially focused on learning to walk again was scan the area I’m about to walk through. With five young children, constant scanning is certainly necessary as many toys and objects end up on the floor. I even bought a grabber so I don’t have to bend to pick up such toys and objects.
The scanning is and became important as I went places. I had to watch any uneven surfaces or how much space I have to walk on. Is there a curb or step to watch out for?
As I’ve gotten out more, my confidence has increased and I don’t feel as scared as I did the first few times I ventured out of the house. I realized even with walks down my block, I have this scanning the surface thing down thanks to my time managing a pool and it’s helping me to walk following my brain surgery.
So today’s long post about my past jobs including one running a pool are to share that you never know the value of a job and the experience you can gain from it. There’s always something or some skill or skills you gain from any job you had regardless of what the job was and at what point in your career you held the job.
Whether I was scanning for stuff to skim out of the pool or now scanning my area so I can walk, I’ve got the scan down and it’s helped me get stronger and walk around a little easier each day.
You never know how even the simplest of tasks can help you out at some point in your life!
#jobs #jonexperience #scanthesurface #poolmanager #walkingwithacane #learnfromwork