2002 Essay Contest Entry Archive

2002 Essay Contest Entry Archive
"Why I Became a Groomer" or
"Why I Want to Become A Groomer"

It all started when my mother decided she wanted to go to grooming school. She was in her late 30's, a bit on the shy side and did not want to go alone. She said she and my father would pay for my schooling if I went with her. There was no grooming school in our area at the time (Houston, Texas in early 80's) so after my dad did some checking he signed us up for a school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

I had a full time job as a sales clerk in an office supply store in town and spoke to my boss about taking off one week a month for the next 6 months. My boss did not want to work around my schedule so I spoke to the administrator of the local nursing home where I once worked as a nurse aide. They were desperate for help and agreed to work around my schedule.

One Sunday a month my mom and I drove the 5 1/2 hour drive to Baton Rouge and stayed in the "Alamo Plaza Hotel" until the following Sunday morning. We went to school Monday thru Saturday.

I didn't think I was going to make it until the end of the school. I was only 18 and would cry easily. I to this day remember when I clipped my first poodle foot....... It looked horrible and was the HIGHEST high water foot ever done. When the teacher gasped and asked why I did that I cried and said "I don't want to be here anyway!" and left the room.
I later decided to try and make the best of it. Mom and I finally graduated from grooming school. I later found out that the teacher pulled my mother aside and told her that she didn't think I was going to complete the school and offered to return my part of the tuition.

My parents opened a grooming shop in our town and mom and I worked it for a couple years until my mother decided grooming wasn't what she wanted to do.

Here it is 21 years later and I am still grooming and now looking forward to grooming competitions.

Looking back I am grateful to my parents for practically forcing me to go and to the teacher for putting up with me and for not kicking me out.