One year ago today, I got a phone call I had been dreading. I had interviewed for a new job the week of Veterans Day, but owing to a combination of circumstances, I wound up posting 45 minutes late to the interview. I faced the guns against something like 9 potential interviewers (as it turns out, most of the rest of the workgroup) and went home knowing that if the lateness didn’t get me, the salary would (even if I’d volunteered to take the cut).
So I was fully anticipating the “thank you for your interest but we’ve decided to go in another direction” call. Instead, I got the “we’d like to offer you a job and a chunk of change (which with benefits will be more or less what you get now) starting first of the year.” That was my Christmas miracle.
Three hundred sixty-five days later, I have to say it was the best present I could have gotten. Because of this job, I don’t drive to work much anymore – I can commute by train and on foot, for free. Because of this job, I have enough sick leave to see the doctors to check out the pain in my shoulder, or rehab my bum knee, or not go to work if I’m spewing flu-like symptoms. Because of this job, I have enough leave to go to Colorado, Alabama, Oregon, Washington, Canada, all over California, and still have enough time to take off and squire Team Black Swan around the city. (Y’all come back now, y’hear?) Because of this job, my cellphone is mostly paid for and I can work out three times a week for no money. Because of this job, I’m typing this on a Mac that was made this year, instead of one that was already obsolete when I came to California. (Yes, the first machine I was issued at the last job was a TiBook G4. In 2007.)
Mostly, though, because of this job I am no longer occupationally miserable on a daily basis. The last time I could say that reliably was in 2006. Maybe the first couple weeks of 2007, when I was still at the Big Fruit.
Pair that with some growth in other areas, some necessary adjustment, and I daresay my life has turned around pretty much 180 degrees from where it was at the end of 2007, which was about as shitty a year as I’ve ever had without losing a parent. It’s good to be back above water. And so, once again, ladies and gents…welcome to Christmas. =)