Ask a High School Guidance Counselor…

Our guest Advice Columnist this week is Sharon Schmidt. Sharon has been a Guidance Counselor at Pfingston High School for 1 year. She graduated from Oakton Community College in 1993. She received her Associate of Arts in Social Studies. She married in 1995 and divorced in 1998. She went to work as a Procurement Director for Sunset Foods in 2001 and terminated her employment in 2002 to leave the Chicagoland suburbs for Northern Indiana where she remarried in 2003 and had a son and 2 daughters. When her youngest child graduated high school and left home in 2021, she divorced a second time and decided to go back into the work field. She got the job as Guidance Counselor at Pfingston High School in mid-2022.

Sandy G. – Tucson, AZ – I recently changed careers. I was a receptionist for a mid-size public relations firm for 14 years but decided to branch out. I found a new job selling pharmaceuticals. I thought that this job was going to be everything I had ever wanted. I would be able to set my own appointments, network with doctors at conventions and regional gatherings, meet colleagues and discuss new ideas, and really make a name for myself in a new industry. It started out so great, but the tide has definitely turned. I am dealing with doctors who are, what is the best way to say this… touchy, feely, and pervy. All they do is hit on me. It’s like if I don’t respond to their advances, they won’t give me the time of day. How can I take control of my situation. I love the industry, but this can’t be normal… can it?

Oh Sandy, Sandy, Sandy. Poor, poor Sandy. Look at you. You had a great job going on and you couldn’t help but look at the grass on the other side of the street. Just couldn’t be content with a career that you were doing well with, could you? I hate to say this, BUT sometimes we reap what we sew. You had a successful career for 14 years and you just couldn’t be content. It sounds like you had a good aptitude for receptionistism, but you took a leap of faith and now are regretting it. Sometimes we have to look into ourselves and realize that we can’t be good at everything. If I were you, I would go back to your previous employer and ask for your job back. Even if it is for less money. It’s the best move for you. Or, you can always look into plumbing, mechanical technician, electrician, or possibly teaching. 

Lanny G. – Stamford, AL – I have been married 6 years and I regret the life I have chosen every day. My wife hates me. My 5-year-old is a brat and a half. I hate my job. I am so upside down on my mortgage that it isn’t even funny. Life has not turned out well for me at all. Flat out question… WHAT DO I DO? Any advice you can give me would be appreciated.

Lanny, you need to stop and smell the roses. At least you have a wife, and child, a house, and a job. Think of those that do not. Stop complaining. It sounds like you are showing the aptitude for being a grouch. Just cheer up. Chin up, Buttercup. Things can always be worse. And as far as your job goes, maybe look into the fields of plumbing, mechanical technician, electrician, or possibly teaching.  

Greg P. – Bozeman, MT – My career is very different from most. I manage a LGBTQ Nightclub in a very conservative little town just on the outskirts of Bozeman. I have been doing Drag since I was a freshman in high school. I am getting very concerned with all of these stories I am seeing in the news regarding banning Drag and basically making it illegal down in the Southwestern US. I am so frightened that it will spread across the country. All of my friends and colleagues are as well. We are very respectable. I am appalled when I hear people say what they say regarding the LGBTQ community. And Drag is just FUN! It is pure, 100% fun! There is nothing evil about Drag. There are no hidden agendas. If people don’t like it, don’t come to our shows. If you don’t want to know me, I am OK with that. I don’t want to know you either. But they have to stop making up these ridiculous stories about our community. Statistics say that 1 in 4 Americans are in some way part of the LGBTQ community. We are here to stay. Maybe I am making a statement more than asking for advice. But I guess the one question that I have would be, what can I do to help spread more tolerance in my little conservative town?

Greg. I am glad to know you. I love your attitude and your outlook on life. But, if you want to help spread tolerance where you are at, you need to find some common ground, as well. You need to ask yourself, “What am I giving back?’ I think the best thing you can do is find something to do in the daytime, given that you manage a club at night. I would suggest plumbing, mechanical technician, electrician, or possibly teaching.