2008-11-28

The Sabbatical

All right, you've fooled around long enough. I've mentioned it. I've danced around the edges. I've stuck a toe in it, so let's just get it over with.

"
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

The first 14 years of my career were spent doing multi-currency financial reporting and budgeting systems for
Arthur Andersen. It was fun. I loved my job. I liked the people I worked with. I was challenged. Then some folks in Dallas don’t practice proper document retention policies* and the government scapegoats 88,000 people for the Enron thing. While the accountants and consultants landed on their feet, we back office people weren't so lucky.

But, I got to stay on for a while with full pay, sorting backup tapes until the end of September, 2002.

And 'the Sabbatical' began. I did get 14 weeks of severance and insurance lasting into the new year. Plus unemployment benefits. Plus I had a condo down payment saved up. Money wasn't really an issue. (No wife / kids / pets either. I do have A (1) plant, but it's not too demanding.)

I traveled to Arizona to visit T-Bone and Mrs. IVy.
I saw the Grand Canyon.
I went for a run most every day.
I applied to the same 15 jobs every day.
I won a
radio contest.
I had, then lost a girlfriend (actually a rarity for me).
I started the website that was the precursor to this blog. And wrote
this, and this, and this, and this on it. (What did you think the tag 'Archive' meant?)
I turned running into training for a marathon when I realized that 7 mile runs were now "short runs". (I have since quite running. Knee issues.)
I applied to the same 15 jobs every day.
I had 1 interview in May, with
Wa-Mu.
I got one snail-mail rejection letter and was so happy to know that not all my applications were just sent down into a black hole that I actually cried tears of happiness over a
REJECTION LETTER.

As the summer of 2003 wound down, I was seriously starting to think about getting that "stop the bleeding" job in retail. That's when I got a call from my old manager, '
Magill' called and asked if I would be up for a temp job at a new company she was at. I had to apply and everything, and it was supposed to last only 6 months, but she needed someone she could trust to work this second shift position. I knew nothing about the application I would be working on, or the tools I would be using, but I applied and accepted the job.

On October 12, 2003, I ran the
Chicago Marathon in 4:21:48. So dead on 10 minutes miles, and it felt great.

On October 13, 2003, the Sabbatical ended as I started my new job, and the next phase in my life. (*part of my job is the enforcement of proper document retention policies. Oh the irony.)

I have since changed jobs, but still report to Magill. I still keep in touch with a lot of the Andersen folks. I have / do work with some. Bought a condo from one. Have a Pictionary** party planned with another in December. We're a bit like war buddies. We get it. We understand.

I learned a lot about myself that year. I know what retirement is like. I learned that while history repeats itself, the
History Channel repeats itself like every 3 hours.

"Some of it's magic. Some of it's tragic. But I had a good life all the way." Love the quote. HATE the
song.


**Once in college, they had a Pictionary contest in the dining hall. I had to draw the clue 'pussy footing around'. After T-Bone shouting "cat foot" "kick the cat" I was force to "go blue." Didn't work, but was amusing when the phrase was read aloud.

2 comments:

Candy's daily Dandy said...

I guess you could say I'm sort of on sabbatical right now. I got laid off in August and now I am considering a "career change". Sounds so lame-I know, but I seriously don't know what I want to do when I grow up. But I better hurry-the clock is ticking.

Scope said...

I thought I read that on your blog early on when I started reading it. Hang in there. As you and MelO can tell, I can empatize.

And a lot of folks left IT when our change occured. House painter, nusrse, librarian, a couple of teachers, and that's just in my little group.

I have now doubt that whatever you do, it will be dandy.