I have another interview at Walmart for a different position, and I’m really hoping this one goes a lot better. The position is in the clothing department. I’m hoping that my previous experience working at Walmart will help me this time around, even though it was at a different location and in a different department.

I worked in the housewares department at Walmart in California for a short time, so I already have some familiarity with the Walmart environment, expectations, and pace. I understand what it’s like to work with customers, keep merchandise organized and stocked, follow store procedures, and work as part of a larger team. Even though my previous experience in a department there was brief, hopefully it will give me an advantage because I’m not completely new to Walmart.

There is one part of my previous Walmart experience that I’m a little unsure about bringing up if they ask why I left or why I changed departments. The circumstances were complicated, but I want to be honest if the subject comes up.

At the time, I was working an overnight shift. My circumstances suddenly changed when my ex, who was being pursued by the police, unexpectedly dropped my girls off with me at Walmart during my shift and left. Obviously, I couldn’t continue working my shift with my girls suddenly in my care, so I had to clock out early and speak with my supervisor.

Because I no longer had anyone available to watch my girls while I worked nights, I asked whether I could move to a daytime position. Within a few days, I was working during the day in the housewares department. It was a pretty abrupt change, and it wasn’t something I had planned, but I did what I needed to do to take care of my girls while still trying to maintain my employment.

Looking back, I think there is actually a positive side to that experience. I had a difficult situation come up unexpectedly, and instead of simply walking away from my job, I communicated with my supervisor, explained the situation, and worked with Walmart to find another arrangement that allowed me to continue working. That shows that I can adapt when circumstances change and that I’m willing to communicate and find solutions.

For this interview, I don’t think I need to volunteer the entire personal story unless they specifically ask about it. If the subject of my previous department or schedule change comes up, I can explain it honestly but professionally without going into unnecessary personal details.

But that was a crazy and scary night. I still remember it so vividly. Funny that my mind always remembers the trauma.

Oh, my doctor who manages my medications has been really insistent that I start going to therapy. I told her that I was already on a waiting list, but I also told her that I was going to start calling around to see if I could find someone who could get me in sooner.

Funny enough, while I was actually sitting there wondering if I should call the clinic where I was supposedly on the waiting list to see what was going on, they called me today! They wanted to set up an assessment, so I guess I really was on the list after all. Apparently, things were moving along even though I hadn’t heard anything for a while. So, it looks like I may have a new therapist soon. I’m really hoping that I get lucky and that this turns out to be a good fit.

Not that my last therapist was bad. He was actually a good therapist, and I learned things from working with him. I just started feeling a little uncomfortable because he shared quite a bit about his own personal trauma during our sessions. I understand that therapists are people too, and I’m sure his experiences were meaningful to him, but sometimes it felt like there was more focus on his experiences than I was comfortable with. I really need therapy to be a place where I can focus on what I’m dealing with without feeling like I need to process someone else’s trauma too.

There was also the issue of religion. I do believe there is something out there, like a God, so I’m not opposed to the idea of religion or spirituality in general. I don’t mind when friends talk about God or religion with me, and I can have those conversations without a problem. But when I’m in a therapy session, I would rather keep religion out of it unless I specifically bring it up. When it started coming up in my sessions, it just felt a little out of place and made things feel uncomfortable for me. Therapy is supposed to be a space where I feel comfortable being completely open, so I think it’s important that I find someone who understands and respects that boundary.

Hopefully, this new therapist will be someone I feel comfortable with and can build a good relationship with. I know finding the right therapist can take some time, but I’m willing to give it a chance and see how it goes. But given my luck with therapists lately, I just hope this is a good one.

On another note, I went with Chris to his doctor’s appointment, and while we were there, he asked them if they were hiring. They said they actually are hiring for a front-desk position, so I’m going to apply for that job too. I’m not sure whether I’ll have much of a chance of getting it because they said they would prefer someone with some experience in medical billing, and I don’t have that kind of experience. But I’m going to apply anyway and see what happens.

I figure it can’t hurt to try. You never really know what an employer is looking for, and sometimes people get hired even when they don’t have every single qualification listed in the job description. I may not have medical billing experience, but I do have experience working with people, dealing with customers, staying organized, and working in fast-paced environments. So hopefully some of those skills will count for something.

It’s funny, because this morning I was thinking that I really didn’t have anything to talk about today. I was even wondering if I should write at all. Sometimes I sit down to write and feel like I need to have something important or interesting to say before I even begin. And when I don’t have a particular thought, story, or topic in mind, I start wondering if there’s really any point in writing.

The funny thing is, I actually really like writing. There’s something about putting my thoughts into words that I enjoy, even when I’m not completely sure where those thoughts are going to lead me. But sometimes I get discouraged with writing. I start wondering whether anyone cares about what I have to say, whether what I’m writing is interesting enough, or whether I’m just writing for the sake of writing.

Sometimes I do think I’m writing for the sake of writing. Since I do enjoy typing words on a keyboard.

I need to start dinner soon. I told Chris that at 5, I will cut up the potatoes and put them in the air fryer. They take a good twenty minutes. The turkey itself that we are having will probably take an hour, so I’m going to start on that first.