Thursday, May 26, 2011

Niche or Rut?

I'm an eclectic.  I don't have a single "look" or aesthetic.  I like brights and neutrals, florals and geometrics, prints and solids.  I like traditional quilts and art quilts, folk art and fine art, pottery and fine china.  I like oldies and chamber music.  I like fiction and nonfiction.  I like Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter (well… maybe Winter not so much).    I don't have a niche.  Miscellaneous is my specialty.

 

Years ago, as I was being interviewed by the SD Judicial Qualifications Commission for a judgeship (I made the top three final cut, but I did not get the appointment), one of my inquisitors said to me, "You've held several different jobs.  It looks to me like you haven't found your niche."   I had legal experience in both the public and private sectors, civil and criminal, and considerably more appellate experience than most attorneys my age.  I had also been the first woman appointed to the SD Board of Pardons & Paroles.   I naively thought my broad range of experience would be a plus, not a minus.   My response was, "I prefer to think I haven't fallen into a rut."

 

I continue to struggle with that niche vs. rut dichotomy sometimes.  I still haven't found a comfortable niche. But I'm rarely bored, often challenged, and I remain open to new opportunities and ideas.  I'm content to be without a niche, open to creative options.  And I'm grateful that I'm not mired in some rut, spinning my wheels in overdrive.

 

Have a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend!

 

TTFN

LeAnn aka pasqueflower

http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower

 

 

Photo Credits: Pine trees and grass surround wagon ruts that have been carved into stone by emigrants who traveled the Oregon Trail, Guernsey, Wyoming (42.255° N 104.749° W).

Public domain. Photo courtesy of Talbot Hauffe, WYDOT

 

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