not in kansas anymore

At what height does a person get classified as a dwarf or, to be a little more politically correct, a “little person”?

Generally, during an interview, when the interviewer asks you if you have any questions, the above is NOT a question that comes to mind. And yet during yesterday’s interview this was all I could think about. I only believe in “signs” when I want to so I didn’t really take the tiny-ness of my interviewer as any kind of sign that I shouldn’t be there. I walked in, shook his hand that felt like I was shaking a golf ball and went through the interview just like any other one.

I haven’t been on an interview in about two years and I guess it’s sort of like riding a bike. I remembered how to conduct myself and I still felt like I wanted to vomit after. It’s not that I don’t like my job that I have now. In fact, it’s the total opposite. I do like where I work and the people I work with and of course the work itself. That is what I am scared of. I’m worried that I will get too comfortable and never want to leave. I have an opposite commute, I have flexible hours, great benefits so what’s the problem? If I stay here there’s nowhere to go from the position I am at right now. Unless I become a lawyer (ah!). That would mean I would have to do more undergrad to get a degree in engineering/math/science (ah!) and then go to law school. I am really not ready for that right now. Maybe when I’m 30. Seriously.

So anyway, this feeling has sort of been creeping up on me more than usual lately and so I put my resume out there and had a call for an interview within hours. I couldn’t help but think the gods were laughing their asses off when I walked in and saw the mockingly small stature of the interviewer. But an hour and a half later I was done and had the promise of more interviews in my near future. I practically ran out of there, bought a pack of Marlboro Lights (which I rarely do and need to stop), smoked one and met my friend Caitlin for the commute back home. After going on thousands of interviews herself, some with equally ridiculous situations, I knew she would appreciate the story. I could not have been happier to see her face through the sea of Midtown suits.

After getting past the small factor, my dad had a few words of wisdom to offer that made me more comfortable with the whole situation. I can’t really say it was the most successful interview I had but I’m hoping one day I will look back at that interview and think it was just one of the first steps on my yellow brick road to success. Pun intended.