If you follow my articles then you have clearly received the message that I’m a country girl born and raised. As a country girl, it was very difficult for me to come of age. I have always had a bubbly and friendly personality. In the country, it is customary to throw up your hand when someone passes. Additionally, it is downright disrespectful to enter a room and not greet the people who are already there. However, life has made me come of age.
Coming of age was a very difficult thing for me. I have always had the heart where I would do anything humanly possible within me to help a person in need. People have always gravitated to my gifts. One of the gifts specifically is motivation. I’m the one who people call when they get in a bind. I’m the one who people call when they want to end it all. I have never been the type of person who could hide in a crowd. People have always gravitated to me.
With every gift and blessing there is also a curse. I’m no stranger to envious women. I’m in my early thirties, creative, beautiful, and intelligent. Coming of age is truly being able to say that at 31. I couldn’t always acknowledge my positive attributes. Coming of age for me was realizing that no matter how good of a person you are that everyone is not going to like you.
I recalled being placed in a position of leadership. I was literally the youngest in charge. The country girl in me was in awe and honored to work amongst older women. Here I was a single mother and a novice to the field. North Florida is a rather conservative place. From Day 1 I was drilled. Do you want to get married etc.? I was thinking what does this have to do with my job code? However, these types of attitudes helped me discover how people are. Some people will literally make you catch hell as a novice even when they have retired and came back to the field, have 2 incomes coming into their home, and make twice as much as you.
In the workplace, I also had to discover that not every leader wants to employ competent people. Some leaders want to maintain their shining armor. Oftentimes, people are intimidated by our gifts. As a country girl I was really behooved at one point. My philosophy is motivating all, and encouraging all to be productive for the benefit of the organization. However, reality showed me that the workplace is really political. There are certain people who literally can’t handle the ego of someone else being stroked. There are some people in workplace who don’t want you to shine too bright.
Coming of age is realizing that nobody is going to tell you your gifts. However, you must always know your worth which entails knowing your abilities. You should not do things to make your superiors smile. You should only do things out of your own genuine interest and/or concern. Expecting no thank you is coming of age. Coming of age for me means doing things that are pleasing to God. I truly believe that when you understand your gifts you are fully prepared for the adversity.
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