Whutaya Gonna Do? - Chapter 17
A month after I had Mia, Dada and I decided to move in together as roommates. Dada was the best roommate I could have possible asked for. He loved Mia to death – he would walk in the house and grab her away from me: Come Here Beast!
For the next few months it was a very simple life of sleep deprivation and diapers – normal new parent stuff. I went back to work with a new drive – I had two to take care of now! No messing around.
Her father came back in the picture, after his initial shock – and I actually liked his new girlfriend more than him! (insert evil laugh here) So we were cool.
I am going to completely digress from this story at this point to explain a little more about me….
I have had a few people who are reading this blog tell me that they cannot believe how I was able to get through some of this.
I have others in my real life tell me that that they have never seen me mad.
And still others who have told me that it irritates them that I am so happy.
So I am going to explain myself…. And it will only take THREE WORDS…
Whutaya
Gonna
Do?
That is pretty much my response to life taking me down. Whutaya gonna do? It is what it is.
When I left the religion knowing my parents were gonna disown me… Whutaya gonna do? Lie for the rest of my life? Pretend? Be Depressed? NO! Figure it out! Move on!
When my Uncle went to prison? Whutaya gonna do? I have my boys and my grandparents to think of! Now What? What needs to get done?
When I got kicked out of one of my houses I lived in and had to couch surf for months? Whutaya gonna do? Figure it out! Work another job! Get your money and move!
And if you break up with Baby Daddy and decide to have this kid on your own? Whutaya gonna do? Well you did it now! Figure it out! Get your shit straight! Work harder!
I have somehow engrained this so much into myself that I am just a pure reaction of business and inappropriate jokes… and laughter – when it comes to bad news. It’s horrible if you don’t know me.
For instance… one time my friend told me she got cancer again for the FOURTH time. She was so pissed! I waited until she was done yelling and just looked at her blankly and calmly.
You know….. I feel like this has got be a record.
What? She stopped and looked up at me.
Yeah… I think we should call Guinness or somebody and figure this out. Like… maybe there will be a party and a trophy or something?
What????
Yeah… like maybe you’ll even get a Tiara…
She laughed. We hugged. Then we got drunk.
Whutaya gonna do?
So really – if you are going to give me bad news. Prepare for me to say something ridiculous, because that is what I do.
Another example: While I was pregnant, my little Japanese Grandma had a blood clot in her brain and they had to go in and operate. Now remember, this little 4’10” 90 pound lady was my life. I spent many days in ICU with her. And it went something like this.
Obaba… (that’s what I call her)
Huh… (eyes closed)
Are you dead?
Not yet.
Ok – well, you have to meet your Great Grandchild, so don’t be selfish and die yet ok.
(She opens one eye and looks at me). Ok..maybe I wait.
See what I mean? Inappropriate.
And wait she did! In fact she got completely better for several more years. Crazy lady.
But my point is…. I will probably tell a really dumb joke to lighten the mood. So I am apologizing in advance. But that is what I do…
So…. When Baby Daddy got a new girlfriend and wanted to come pick up my newborn. The rule was…. Not without HER! I was lucky he had a great girlfriend who was kind, responsible, and loved my daughter. What can be better???
So… back to my story….I continued running night clubs. Perfect for a single Mom. Mia stayed with Grandma and went to bed before I even started getting ready. I came home and was able to take a nap before she even woke up in the morning! Then I hung out and took naps with her during the day! It worked out great for quite a while. But I knew that I needed a better long term plan. So I decided to go to College. I had never been up to this point, and what better time to go – after I have a baby!
Luckily my sister, my parents, and Mia’s Great Grandparents on her Dad’s side were all arguing over who got to have her – so that freed me up to start going to school. I took an accelerated program at a local college and started going to school Tuesday Night, Thursday Night, and Saturday from 8am – Noon. It almost killed me with the clubs – but I was getting it done!
I’ve said it before – I always need a Back Up Plan. I have a kid now – I can’t be at the clubs forever. But how am I going to make this kind of money with a day job???
I also knew that because I essentially grew up at the radio stations, no one would take me seriously enough for me to move up the ladder. Whutaya gonna do? It doesn’t matter how much I have proven myself. I was still the young partyer who took years to blossom professionally. I would never be a manager. So I had to come up with a different plan. I had no idea what it was going to be, but I knew I needed a Diploma to get it.
How did I know? Because one day I got a call from a HUGE Pharmaceutical company. I mean… so huge they have their own Zip Code for their campus! I knew a bunch of the guys there because I used to show up for their on-campus Summer BBQ’s and Car Shows with the radio stations. We would introduce the bands on stage, give away prizes, and just create overall excitement for all of the employees.
There was an opening for their Employee Relations Coordinator, which was “Corporate” for the Party Thrower. They called me and asked if I was looking to change.
You should apply, Hannah. You’re perfect for this position!
They already knew that I would work my ass off for them. They knew they liked me. And they knew that I knew what I was doing. So they asked me to come in and interview with the Department Heads.
The interview went great! We laughed, told stories, and I KNEW I had it in the bag!
Suddenly one of them stopped… Where did I go to College?
I did not.
Oh… We are so sorry! This is a managerial position and requires a Bachelors Degree at the least.
WHAT????
Whutaya Gonna Do???
Get a Degree.
From then on I figured it out and went back to school. When you decide to do something… You MAKE time. I don’t care what it is. Boyfriend… working out… time for your family… you FIGURE IT OUT. If you say that you care about something, but you are too busy. You full of shit. When you make it a priority in your life – you will make time.
I was a 25 year old Freshman and Single Mother… and I was ready to be a Grown Up and take responsibility for me and Mia’s life.
