Wishful Thinking

I lost my job about a month ago. I should’ve known it was coming because my ideas were better than my supervisors, so he felt I was trying to take his job. It also didn’t help that I stood up to my coworkers when they would try to take advantage of me. Call me a perfectionist, I loved the details in my work, but being fired should’ve been a relief for me since I hated my job. There was a calling on my heart, a yearning in my soul to not be sucked into the rat race of life that was completely unfulfilling for me. All the previous generations in my family worked day in and day out and had nothing to show for it. I refused to live like that, but here I was settling into dead end jobs where ego was always at play.

My phone rang causing me to jump, snapping me out of my mental spiral. A number I didn’t know popped up on the screen and seeing as I was unemployed, I couldn’t afford to not answer even if it was only for an extended warranty on a car I didn’t even own.

“Hello.”

“Good morning. This is Jessica Farmer from Creative Liberty Fashion Magazine. I was calling for Celeste Bowman.”

“This is she.”

“Ms. Bowman, I was calling about the application you put in recently for our administrative position. Are you still interested?”

I silently jumped up and down before quickly responding. “Yes ma’am, I am still very interested in the position.”

“I know this is short notice, but do you mind coming in for an interview tomorrow at nine am?”

“Yes ma’am. I can be there at nine am sharp.”

“Ok great, I will see you tomorrow morning at 9 am. Please wear business attire and bring two forms of ID as well as your resume. I will be sending you the location as with the rest of the interview information in an email to the address you provided. If you don’t have any questions, I look forward to our meeting tomorrow.”

“I look forward to it as well, thank you. Goodbye.”

When the phone disconnected I screamed and danced around my bedroom. There was a knock on the door and when I swung the door open I wrapped my arms around my Mother.

She laughed, “What is going on in here?”

“I have an interview tomorrow with that fashion magazine I was telling you about.”

She hugged me tight. “Congratulations baby! Are they going to be looking at your fashion designs?”

That question dampened my mood a little because as much as I wanted someone to invest in my clothing line, I didn’t have the means to really put myself out there.

“No Mom, its entry level for an administrative position, but if I get it then it’s an open door to network.”

She released me, her facial expression disappointed, but her eyes still smiling. “That’s a great way to look at it. Make sure you figure out what you’re going to wear and let me know if there’s anything I can do to help. Just remember to not stop pursuing your dreams while you’re contributing to someone else’s.”

She hugged me again before she left for work. My day was spent picking out an outfit that I designed and would make my golden brown skin pop while still being business appropriate. I’m an artist who loves to put my patterns and creations on clothing. I always get compliments, but a lot of unopened doors when I tried to get my name out there. The idea of selling my art on clothes and having people wear, vibrant and unique clothing was an exciting thought. I wanted to take care of my Mom the same way she had always taken care of me and I know that dream could take me there.

Before bed I had a self-care session. Hot bath, manicure, pedicure, washed my face making sure my skin had no blemishes and straightening my curly hair seeing it now reaching the middle of my back. Meditation, stretching and then I was on my way to sleeping into tomorrow, just a little disappointed I couldn’t wait up for my Mom who was working a double.

My Mom did wake me up the next morning knocking on the door. I jumped up when she said it was 815 and I was going to be late. The alarm didn’t go off and my phone wouldn’t turn on so I quickly printed the email, got dressed and ran out of the door when the Uber my Mom order for me pulled up.

I walked into the building five minutes late, so Ms. Farmer’s irritation with my tardiness was very apparent. As the interview continued on her attitude towards me didn’t change so when she told me that they were going to go with another candidate that had interviewed previously, I wasn’t surprised. This was only a minor setback and I had to continue to look on the bright side and keep trying.

My walk home would take me at least thirty minutes, but it would be a great opportunity to clear my mind while the sun was shining and the birds chirping. I walked out the door and the thunder cracked loud in the sky which changed my regular walk into a brisk walk except it started pouring down ten minutes in and I was soaked immediately. There was a bench and seeing as I was already drenched, I sat down, at this point feeling completely defeated.

My straight hair was slowly shrinking into its naturally curly state while I sat there telling myself not to give up and that something better would come along. I needed to stay positive and work on my business plan for my clothing line. My Mothers words kept replaying in my head and she was right, I’ve been putting off my goals for entirely too long.

“Beautiful weather we’re having aren’t we?”

A baritone voice startled me. When did someone sit down next to me?

“Actually yes, it’s amazing. The rain cleanses, refreshes and makes room for growth.” I don’t know what it was, but his energy was very uplifting.

“That’s a nice way to look at it. You have amazing style by the way. The world needs a more creative eye like yours.”

I turned to thank him for his compliment, but no one was there. Quickly I grabbed the umbrella and the little black book that were sitting where I heard the voice so I could run and find him and give him what he left behind, but I was the only one left on the street. Today has been an interesting day, all I could do was shrug before saying thank you to the universe for guidance and an umbrella to keep me from getting any wetter before making my way home.

Dry clothes and a warm meal later, I opened the book the gentleman left on the bench, hoping to find a way to get it back to him. The only thing in the book was a handwritten note on the first page.

“If you truly believe in the passions that drive your heart and control your thoughts, then write it out and claim this is mine.” At the bottom it said manifest in all capital letters.

There was a pen inside so I started writing what I wanted to manifest. It felt good to put everything on paper, like so much weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I leaned back in my chair and visualized all the things that I had written down on the pages before going to start dinner for my biggest supporter.

When she walked in the door and smelled the aroma, she asked the most logical question. “Are we celebrating you getting the job?”

I laughed, my mood much better than earlier. “Nope, we are celebrating something better. We are celebrating, renewed hope and the lifestyles that we dream of living. We are celebrating me paying off your mortgage one day and being able to retire you from your job. Change is coming, we just have to be patient.”

She smiled and hugged me when the doorbell rang. She continued to get settled in while I answered the door with a smile for a stranger. “Hello sir. What can I do for you?”

He flashed a perfectly white smile. “Good evening. Sorry for the intrusion, but I’m looking for a Celeste Bowman.”

“I am Celeste. What is this about?”

His face was very serious when he pulled out a manila envelope. “Do you mind if I come in?”

“Hey Mom, we have company.”

She peeked her head around the corner as he stepped into the house and followed me into the dining room. When she joined us seconds later, he shook her hand. “Mrs. Bowman you have a lovely home. It’s nice to meet you, my name is Eric Johnson and I am from a very well-known fashion magazine that I can’t disclose until you decide to accept or decline our offer.” He sat down. “We have seen your work on social media as well as received your request for an internship. I am here to offer you something better. We would like to sponsor your next collection and we only ask that when it’s complete you allow us to feature your work in our magazine. We will have you working alongside some of our top designers along the way and you will have our full support. What do you say?”

At this point my jaw was on the floor for two reasons, this offer was amazing, almost exactly what I wrote in the book that was still sitting on my desk, and his voice sounded almost like the man I spoke to earlier. My Mom chimed in with all of her excitement, “You better take his offer Celeste. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime.”

“Yes!” I said way too excited.

He smiled his perfect smile again. “We love to give the creatives opportunities, especially when they are doing things that are different and standout. So right now I have here a check for twenty thousand dollars to start you off as well as a business email and password that we are providing you, as well as a cellphone with all the numbers of the designers along with my number. In the envelope are the deadlines and details of the terms. For this evening all I need you to do is sign a very short contract saying you have all rights to your creations and we are here to guide you along the way and get you out here in front of the world.”

While I read and signed the contract, I heard him talking to my mom about the weather today and how he had left his umbrella somewhere along with his favorite notebook. Before I could finish my signature I was up the stairs and back down with his little black book. He continued smiling at me.

“Keep it Celeste, I have a couple more at home, but I’m sure you needed that more than I did today. Thanks for being my sunshine in the rain earlier.”

Six months later all my dreams had come true while I continued to manifest more. All of this after a late start and lots of rain, but I held on to a great attitude, found a little black book and a received a twenty thousand dollar check with the opportunity of my dreams. I carry the little black book with me daily knowing one day someone may need it more than me.