A Cold Shot of Discouragement Chased with Soothing Memories

This morning, I got an email from a potential new job, stating that I was not chosen for the position. I received this generic rejection email:

"Thank you for coming in and meeting our team for an interview.  We enjoyed
meeting you and getting to know you better. Unfortunately, after reviewing
your information, our team has determined that, though impressive, your
qualifications are not the right match for this position. We wish you the
best of luck with your future endeavors."

I won't lie to you. It sucked. I didn't even really want this job. I wasn't very impressed with administration, nor the teaching position I was up for. But, I was qualified. I had all the right credentials, I said the right things, and provided a portfolio of my work. I thought that I was a shoe-in. Though I had full intentions of looking elsewhere, I honestly figured this would be my back-up plan. It was disheartening. It's like getting rejected by your safety school...

But alas, I need to keep on chuggin'. I have 2 interviews lined up next week, for jobs I'm more interested in. I'm hoping I impress them enough to actually hire me.

When I texted The Husband today, he was supportive and such. But for some reason, it wasn't doing it for me. That is, until he sent this text:

Something about it, though something I've heard a million times in my life, really made me stop and appreciate. Yes, it sucks I wasn't hired at a job I feel I am more than qualified for. And yes, rejection hurts. But, this is a blessing. It was a job I didn't really want, with people I didn't really want to work with. "Never settle for good enough" is hanging in my office. Words I need to live by... And now, I have new word to live by.

Though the words soothed my soul for a while, the sting of defeat lingered on. I needed a distraction from all of the job searching and interview obsessing I had been doing. I went for a drive.

During my Sulk Drive, I went to CVS to buy some comforting beef jerky. Instead, I wandered down the wrong aisle, and came across these little gems:

I'm only slightly obsessed with Corn Nuts, and when I saw them, I knew these would be the foods that would get me out of my slump (emotional eater much?). Little did I know...they actually would.

When I was a child growing up with my grandmother in North Dakota, we used to go on love drives together through the country. We would always fuel up on soda and snacks (yes, soda. My grandma wasn't up on the "what not to feed a small child" literature). My snack of choice? You guessed it: Corn Nuts. I was partial to the Original and Ranch flavors, but any of them would do.

I had hadn't Corn Nuts in years, when I opened the package in the car today. The smell alone, while making some other sick, reminds me of home. They say that smell is the most powerful trigger for memories. But that first crunch of the mini, salty Corn Nuts was triggered one incredible sensation. Chasing the snack with my Diet Coke solidified that sensation. I was home.

I'm fortunate enough to have wonderful people who support me, and wonderful memories to remind me of who I am. I am one lucky girl.

Cheers,