One of the questions about everyones life I have had is, "Where do you work?" I think that our work so often identifies our self identity, that it is common to want to know what people do for a living. Perhaps we can start this thread with this question and see if it goes elsewhere.
Currently, I am a Spanish teacher at two different private schools. The first school is a joy to work at. I love the children and having been there three years, they have become quite comfortable with me. They greet me throughout the day as I go around the school and they are always happy to see me when they enter my room. The second school I teach at is an inner city school where the children are from a rougher community and some are from broken homes and live with only one parent or even with their grandparents. These children are more difficult to teach and it has taken all of my two years there for them to get used to me. We are doing better now and I have great affection for them but I may not be teaching there next year because I am in graduate school and I may need that time to study for my classes.
Working with children has given me many insights in what it means to be a learner and what makes a good learner. I have presented some short papers on it to my colleagues that have been well received. That subject continues to facinate me and I make some of those applications in my mind as we train in Aikido sometimes. Where do you work and do you ever make Aikido applications in your job?

Well with all that is happening to me an in my life I must say Aikido principles guide me through some of the toughest times. LOL I must say Aikido itself and the practice of Aikido have gotten me through some of the tougher times in my life. Just doing breathing techniques have helped me clear my mind and focus on the tasks ahead. I really knew nothing of Aikido until I met Jorge Garcia about two years ago. Since then I have engrossed myself in Aikido as much as I could. I read and read and read some more, trying to absorb every detail of Aikido I could. The books kept coming and I kept reading. I think the most fun I ever had was the times I learned Aikido from Jorge Garcia. I would always ask him to torque me harder hahahaha. But now onto the subject at hand. I work at Gamestop Inc. I have many passions in life and videogames happens to be one of them. I love working at Gamestop where I am surrounded with things I know about, a history I practically study, and games I love to play. Customers, God bless them, can bring the greatest joy to your day, or can ruin them in a heartbeat. I must say though I feel it my duty to make sure everyone leaves satisfied and happy. I love to serve others and this is how I serve best. Now that I am graduating from college and getting married soon. I plan to continue my work there and move up into corporate if God so desires. People sum us up by the way we interact with them. Just as God sends Christians as ambassadors to the world. Aikidoists are also ambassadors and through our actions we can either make a mockery of our own teachings or show people that as Aikidoists we want to make sure peace and happiness can be found even in the darkest of places....Even at Gamestop!

We wish you the best and will keep you in our prayers as you begin a new phase of life in getting married. The key to success in marriage is finding the right partner and in this case, I don't think you could have done any better so I am sure that you will do well. May God bless you as you follow your path and I hope that you continue to practice Aikido in some format wherever you go.
Sincerely,
Sensei

I work as an engineer for a company manufacturing equipment of underwater oil fields. My job is to insure that every thing works as a complete system. So it involves making sure equipment specifications are compatible. Looking at the materials. Trying to anticipate problems. Working on test and qualification programs, and if im lucky helping to install it and start it up. Really my bigest job is to try and do my best to make it all safe, so everyone goes home every day as healthy as when they got out out of bed, and to make sure that we do not impact the environment. I can see a lot of relationships between Akido and my work, but they could be wrong since I dont know much Akido. There is a reality that you cannot escape if you make equipment, if you ignore it, it won't work and could be dangerous. So you try and understand that reality. If you are lucky and you have a good grasp, things are easy to do. Sometimes you find yourself struggling, because you are trying to force things, so the best thing to do is to understand what you are dealing with and change direction, and get where you are going another way. My latest feeling is that I no longer see situations in terms of conflict, but as opportunities to engage and harmonize, while maintaining my integrity.

One can't really consider a 14 year old working but, I have a start on a career that truly fascinates me; visual arts.

Emotion from the center, the very spirit and essence of a person, is what makes art stand out. More often, my best works have been driven by a need to express the inside.

Here's where it's hard to understand, like aikido, because art can be interpreted since it is often the raw inside. Many find gory, violent, or just nasty images appalling and consider this below a standard for good art. Expression comes form the inside, so you see the inside. Aikido and art go hand in hand and a too literal sense of being distorted by the 'outer crowd'

I hope to further a career in art, being my true love, and I've already have my works posted on a homepage, deviantART, and VCL. I believe links are in my siggy.

But on a more personal level Aikido and art have actually helped me grow from old habits that were self destructive and could've led to an early death for me if I kept with it.

Thanks to both Mike and Molly for the last two posts. Those were excellent comments and show that you both already have great insight into what Aikido is all about. I have found that in Aikido training, we try to prove the "truths" that Aikido stands for. That is why it is important to talk about these things as we practice.
Sensei

I work for a company called TEPPCO Partners, L. P. in the corporate office. I've been working as the Controller's assistant in the accounting department for almost 6 years. I've never been interested in working as an assistant nor anywhere near accounting so I know that this not my final career destination. I'm still in school working on my basics, but have not decided what I realy want to study. I'm hoping that one day soon I will make up my mind, but nothing feels right yet. I'm just taking one day at a time and see where I end up once I finish my BA degree.
Besides being a full time assistant and a partime college student, I am also a full time mom. If I could only make this one the rewarding career with a nice salary.... lol!