“Hi, how are you?” A simple question, yet an unnerving reminder of how I was to greet the members. But, despite the number of times I had repeated this in my mind, I still stumbled over my words as they drove up after finishing a round. I had never been to a country club let alone picked up a golf club, and I certainly had no knowledge of the complexities of a golf course. I had entered another universe, surrounded by doctors, lawyers and successful businessmen: an atmosphere of wealth and privilege. I was intimidated by the social status I perceived around me, intimidated being a minority at a predominantly white country club, and intimidated being the only female in the all-male outside staff. As a result, I spent the first few months avoiding interaction with both the members and my coworkers and kept to myself whenever possible. I wasn’t very excited about starting this job; the past two years had been difficult for me and I felt like I was on a downslide. I couldn’t even explain to myself why I felt this way, a reluctance to get out of bed, staying locked in my room most of the time, and having no motivation to do the simplest tasks. Taking a personal assessment, I checked off good grades, I had great friends and family, and I had recently developed a passion for photography that I turned into a small business opportunity. Despite my many accomplishments and all of the good surrounding me, there had always been a part of me that felt empty, a part of me that needed to be filled. But why was I feeling this void in myself? Little did I know that what I was missing in my life was soon to be realized by a job I was reluctant to begin. Waking up as early as 4:30 in the morning to start an eight-hour shift cleaning golf clubs and golf carts does not sound very appealing to many. Caddying, walking seven miles for eighteen holes up and down hills with a twenty-pound bag on each shoulder, sounds less so, but it became something I looked forward to each and every day. The place I initially found so intimidating became a place where I began to feel confident and comfortable in various social situations. My coworkers are like family to me now, and I have learned how to interact effectively with the members each in his or her own way. There are some I could speak with for hours, finding the conversations interesting and informative, some a quick hello, but with each interaction I have developed social and conversational skills that have given me a new confidence and understanding of how to deal with my peers and the world at large. I knew nothing about golf when I started working, but I learned, not only about golf but about people and relationships, and what I had to offer to both. And I didn’t realize it at the time because I was so caught up in how happy I was and how successful I was becoming in both my own personal growth and the skills I was gaining, but, my job saved my life. My job provided a light for me when I needed it most. Now, I wouldn’t trade sitting in a cart and eating breakfast with my coworkers during a morning shift for anything. This job truly did fill the void and gave me the confidence to take on whatever the future holds.