How to Celebrate?

Tuesday, October 2, 2012 was my official 20th anniversary as a licensed nail technician.

It was October 2, 1992 that I took my state board exams and received my license. What an adventure that was! For one thing, my model was my ex-boyfriend... as in, "ex" at the time I took him to my boards! Which was one whole adventure in itself, but at the end of that very stressful day, I sat in the lobby of the Fairfield office with everyone else who had taken their boards that day, waiting for my name to be called.

In California — at least back in 1992 — you either get your license or you get your results. Never mind that I think it’s stupid that you don’t get to see your exam results if you pass; the problem on that particular Friday afternoon was that I had opted to take my boards in the Fairfield office (Northern California) despite living at the time in the San Fernando Valley (Southern California) so the X-BF and I had driven for some seven hours, spent a night in a hotel together, and then I had to (the horror!) get up at some ridiculous hour like 7 a.m. in order to check in and take my written test first thing in the morning. Then I had to squirm through a four-hour break before taking my practical exam that afternoon.

The XBF was actually very helpful and tried to be a calming influence — but let’s face it, he was the X-BF and I had a current BF back home who I’d have much rather had along. But the current BF was not a viable manicuring model candidate and the X-BF swore he wouldn’t go if the current BF went. Oh! The crazy things we do when we’re 22.

So there we were, sitting, waiting, at like 5:00 in the afternoon on a Friday. With all the state board employees packing up and clocking out and one guy at the front window calling names and giving out paperwork, wishing he was clocking out and heading home too.

And then all the names had been called. And the guy behind the window turned around, closed the window and started packing up. And there I am — with the X-BF — still waiting for my name to be called!

I seriously thought I was going to faint. All I could think was that they didn’t even know I’d taken the tests. I was going to have to do it all again. I was woozy.

The X-BF went to the window and knocked, startled the guy on the other side of the glass who was packing up papers and trying to go home, and asked him if he had any more papers to hand out?

After some shuffling around behind the window, the guy casually handed the X-BF a small, rectangular, green piece of paper — all nonchalant, like it was totally no big deal. Just my entire future!

Well. I got my license. And last Tuesday was the 20th anniversary of that day. I really think I deserved some sort of major celebration. Maybe a parade. A cake. A card containing a one-dollar bill from every single client I have ever touched, or at least flowers and balloons from somebody.But the event passed with just a few "way to go’s" from Facebook friends.

The BF (the current one) told me he just doesn’t know the proper way to celebrate a 20th anniversary of one’s career.

There should be some industry standard for marking major career milestones. I really think 20 years of consistent employment in the industry deserves something big.