I've only had a couple of jobs in my life- but they were pretty exciting. My first venture into a profession was teaching Ballet, Tap and Jazz to children at a local music and dance school. After a couple of years the owner closed the music department and sold me the dance portion. I was 21. Dancing was something I was passionate about had done all my life. In high school, I created a ballet class for the neighborhood children, a foreseen future shaping up and getting ready to erupt. At 16, shortly after sharing my talents by teaching in my basement, I was hired to teach at the local dance school that I would eventually come to own.
My dance school boasted 300 students and a small staff of young adults, mostly trained by moi since their childhood. Twenty-five years of quality recitals, dance conventions, New York City training and stage mothers who approved of me helped turn my childhood passion into a successful business.
Finally, I began to tire of the endless recitals, endless stress and the sheer craziness of owning a performing Arts studio. It was a hard decision, but I finally ended up selling the studio to one of my oldest students for not much money. I was done, I just wanted OUT- it was time to find something else to do.
Fate finally stepped in when my husband lost his job and we found ourselves on the crossroads. An insecure future loomed ahead, and we decided to make a big move. My family lived in South Florida, and I wanted my daughter to be closer to my parents. Also, I liked the idea of living in Florida- my husband Mark felt the same way and we made our plans a reality over a Valentine's Day dinner date.
Once in Florida, we both had to find jobs and that's when I got introduced into the world of Property Management. Only in Florida could you find age restricted over-55 neighborhoods, or "gated communities" with huge clubhouses that were in need of a "Lifestyle" or "Social Director". That was me. I had just the right skill-set to pull it off. I knew how to organize activities, plan classes, make flyers and market events, and also, after working as a choreographer and theatre director, able to hire top notch entertainment to perform in the clubhouse.
So that's what I did for the next 11 years, working every holiday for the residents, staying late to throw parties and MC all the shows. I made very good money, but spent most of my time at the clubhouse, working lots of overtime for a decent salary.
But I saw it coming, problems between the management company and the resident Board of Directors, involving saving money, the age-old dilemma of being the second-highest paid staff led to my being laid off. A sad affair, especially since I had become close to the people who lived there and I would miss them. Maybe not ALL of them, but a lot of them.
