The Fixer

I'm looking forward to watching tonight's episode of Scandal (I'll catch it on my iPad at my convenience). The lead character explained in the 1st episode that they are lawyers, but this is not a law firm. She is a fixer. While I don't spend my days as a high paid DC crisis manager, I, too, am a fixer and truth be told, am very good at it especially because I come by it naturally. Growing up my father was a Boy Scout Professional but it was my mother who taught us always to be prepared. The only time I remember seeing her overwhelmed was the afternoon she learned that her father died. I arrived home from school to see my father holding her as she quietly cried in what was meant to be a very private moment. It didn't last long because there was just too much to do. Mom was on a plane within a few hours leaving the rest of us knowing exactly what we each needed to do before our 10 hour drive the next morning. My mother's last job prior to retirement was at an insurance company processing claims where the majority of her coworkers were the same age as her children. They made Mom their Judge Judy years before any of us were introduced via TV to the Honorable Judith Schiendlin. Seriously, if only God let my mother run the world all would be right. Juggling a full caseload including regular court appearances in 4 different towns before seven different judges was good preparation for raising a child with autism. Contingency planning is second nature. I usually am prepared for the inevitable although a few weeks ago I missed the memo that no Wendy's in Tucson is open for breakfast (my son only eats Wendy's chicken nuggets or Tyson's from Costco). Had I known I would have packed some Tyson's because the hotel room had a microwave. We were in Tucson (close enough to Phoenix to drive home if necessary) practicing staying overnight in a hotel. We're training for an August road trip to Portland, OR - an adventure guaranteed to provide plenty of blogging material! I look forward to the day my son's health allows me to re-enter the workforce as a project consultant. My resume will read "Expert Fixer - All specs will be met. No detail too large or too small. Every challenge will be resolved. Every system will be navigated. Guaranteed at a minimum to have contingency plans A,B & C readily available for full implementation and continual revision at a moment's notice. If all hell breaks loose and worst comes to worst, I am comfortable flying by the seat of my pants and figuring it out as I go along." ;)