Where've I been? October 30th 2005

Hey, I know I‘m not Amelia Earheart, but I’ve still heard a few folks asking where I disappeared to this summer.

Well, you might have noticed that despite revealing everything from my fear of mice to the most embarrassing moments of fatherhood, I never said more than a few words about work.

Why?

For one thing I believe in the old adage that says you can’t shit where you eat and expect dinner to taste great. I had no desire to lose my job over something I wrote as a hobby on AOL.

For another, I knew my stories would be skewed and give the wrong impression of the business. I worked 3rd shift for years- my clientele was neither well behaved nor typical for my place of employment.

And , probably most importantly, I worked there 40 hours a week. I didn’t want to spend my free time rehashing what happened on the time clock.

And then, in July, the boss quit.

To give you some perspective, I’d been in management for years but had long given up on advancing in our small, nepotistic company. When she quit it was on par with a drowning man seeing the sun break through the water above him; chances are you still weren’t going to make it, but at least there’s hope.

But wouldn’t you know it, I got the promotion.

It wasn’t easy. I had what amounted to a three month audition before the advancement was even publicly announced, and if that wasn’t enough, office politics have clouded the hierarchy of the post-boss era. Still, I’ve moved up in the world.

That’s a pretty good thing. I’m making more money, I dress pretty nifty, and I have more authority.

And stress. I have a lot more stress.

Part of the tension is just your normal adjustment to change. I have a work schedule 180 degrees from what it was, and I’m just now learning how to be a husband that’s home to hear the baby cry at 2 am.

Add to that the standard duties of the job, the natural hazing that comes with being a rookie, and a business that has yet to recover fully from the effects of 9/11 . . . well, pass the Tums please.

Ah, I’m just a whiner. I’m happy for the change.

But I do need an outlet for my nervous energy, something I enjoy and takes my mind off of things. For that reason, whenever I get a chance, I’m going to try and update Slapinions.

No promises, you understand. Sometimes when I have free time the last thing I want to do is sit down in front of a monitor and type, but it does feel good when I get around to it.

Dang good.

So here’s hoping we see a whole lot more of each other in the future.

 

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