Kaizen Event

So last week I was invited to a 4-day Kaizen event. It involved 17 of us from all different departments and areas. I was beyond excited to be involved in it and was even more amazed that my community manager had requested that I be a part of it when I have only been at this company for a few months. It was an exhausting 4-days and I now completely understand why people say Kaizen events are intense. I got off each day EXHAUSTED mentally. On Friday 30+ leaders of the company, including the COO came down to the conference room and we presented our findings. It was awesome, especially when the most senior person in the Kaizen event nominated me to do most of the talking. I have debated and recited tons of interps in front of all kinds of people and more people, but holy moly I was nervous standing before the COO and telling him all the things we found wrong with how things are run currently. It went great though and this monday my manager received praise for me attending. *air high five to me* I definitely feel like I have a great chance of making my way up the ladder here and that feels awesome. I get to help shape how the entire company will be moving forward in 2013 and 2014...fantastic. It definitely helped that i'm a little outspoken, there were a few people from branches that sat there and agreed with everyone on anything and that sure wasn't the case with me. Guess I've always had a "problem" making my opinion heard.

Work Workie Work

I work a full time job Monday through Friday 8:15-5:15, every week. I wake up at 6:30 and am gone from my home by 7:15...I don't see Jocelyn again until I am off work at 5:30 picking her up and we don't get to the house until almost 6:00. Then after working and going non-stop for almost 12 hours I go home and take care of Jocelyn until she goes to bed. On weekends we spent every second together and never am I telling her to "go play in her room while mommy does this or that". I rarely if ever reach that point where I want to scream and run far away in the opposite direction. Yet when I tell random people that, they look at me with pity. As though I am not as good of a mother because I don't choose to stay home and watch her. It drives me absolutely bonkers. "O i'm sorry I bet you hate missing so much" "Don't ya just wish you could stay home and watch your little one grow??" "O how unfortunate that you have to work" Welp assholes who are just convinced I sit pitying myself feeling like an under achieved mother...I prefer to put food in my daughters mouth, give her medical insurance that comes out my paycheck not tax payers checks, and have a career that my daughter will be proud of. I'm sorry I didn't marry rich or decide to live off of the state's dime, but no I don't sit around wishing I was a stay at home mother on welfare. I am beyond proud that I make more than the average 22 year old. I am beyond proud that I have come farther in the work force than most of my fellow graduates. I am even proud that my income is high enough as a single mother that I don't receive a huge tax return back from the gov't. The only thing you do by making your rude comments is allow me to make a smart ass comment back to you that you don't expect. I work in Idaho and at the age of 22 make more than the median average assholes, so you can kindly suck it.