Two Knives

I quit working about 18 months ago to enter the world of SAHMs.

My job as an events coordinator with a for-profit higher eduction company had left me a tad, well, wrung out. Depleted. Wasted. I was a quivering mass of jelly and bones piled in the corner of my office at the time I quit.

Husband: So, what are you going to do with all your time now?
Two Knives: I don’t know. I thought I’d write a little.
Husband: Oh.

I had been yearning to write, as many of us do, because I thought I had something to say. I also wanted to figure out exactly what I really wanted to do for the rest of my life so that I could start a grown-up career. And stop counting meatballs.

The idea of writing a blog did not occur until several months later. One daughter was in school, the other in preschool parttime, so I had a few hours free every day. I decided to just do it.

I dove in head first. I started posting with only the goal that I post almost every day. I found the exercise of writing and posting, without the time for second drafts or feedback, invigorating. I joined a couple online communities. I posted comments on other people’s blogs. And people began to read mine.

In the midst of all the writing and posting and commenting, something happened: a theme emerged. As much as I wanted to be funny and write about parenting and housework – I couldn’t. I kept returning to the topic that really made me angry: corporate marketing directed at children.

Angry? I should say really pissed off.

Some days, I would scan the jobs openings at local nonprofits to see if something caught my attention. No more corporate jobs for me, no sir. After all, I had taken courses in nonprofit management along the way to my master’s degree. And I wanted a new job I could be passionate about.

But my mind kept coming back to the children’s marketing issue. 

Then I started to realize something. Perhaps the anger I felt wasn’t so much anger. Maybe it was — passion?

Could this be what I was passionate about?

Then I got this really crazy idea: Why not do something? Why not create a nonprofit? With an agenda I could be passionate about?

Can you do that?

I guess you can. I’m pleased to introduce Parents for Ethical Marketing and its blog, Corporate Babysitter.

If anyone’s still reading I want to thank some people: those kind bloggers who befriended me at the beginning and kept me going: Roy, Jessica, Zesty, Liz Strauss, and StealthBadger; bloggers Chilihead, Amy, and Mom for their tremendous support and encouragement; & Mel, for his ear and editing kindness.

And most importantly, thank you to my husband, who has tolerated my obsession, maintained enthusiasm for it, and supported me one hundred percent.

Thanks for reading. Now, let’s get to work.