2007-03-27

I'm in School again today. It's getting more interesting but what is really interesting is this; IBM, my old company, is situated in the same building as New Horizons, 404 Wyman St Waltham. My old manager has his office not 50 yards from where I sit. I've asked to buy him lunch at the in house cafeteria this week and catch up. I've got one eye on maybe working for IBM again but I'm just really interested in what's happened while I was gone regardless of job opportunities. I spent over 15 years with these people!

I've kind of looked back too. You never know where your life may take you when you make certian decisions. If I'd stayed with IBM I would have been doing the same job for the past 14 years on top of the 15.5 I already had in. My position would have been secure, as would my retirement but I think my life would have absolutely sucked.

I went back to school and got my degree in my forties. I launched a new career in software in my late 40's and now I'm launching another one as a network engineer in my 50's. Life didn't get stale and I'm so proud that I didn't play my whole life safe. I could have too. I was given, gifted really, with opportunities that I couldn't have given myself.

I couldn't have afforded my first electronics school. For that first break I thank my father. I couldn't have afforded my Associates Degree, for that I thank the buy out package from IBM. I couldn't have afforded my Bachelors degree and for that I thank the awards committee who awarded me my full merit scholarship. And now I couldn't have afforded my Microsoft certifications or have afforded the time off and for that I thank the State.

I've been very lucky, but I also took advantage of what came my way. Lots of people don't recognize opportunities or even want them. They like their safe life that they don't realize isn't safe and the whole thing could crumble in a second. Women are especially victim to this. So many never expect their husbands to leave, die, become ill and their whole life changes and they can't figure out how to respond because they aren't used to seeing the opportunity they've just been handed in the midst of the wreckage.

I've had lots of wreckage but I also had lots of opportunities. It's hard to be grateful for one without being at least a little grateful for the other.

Yup, I think when I talk to my old manager at lunch, probably tomorrow, I'll have nothing to be ashamed of and lots to be proud of. Now I'm curious to see how he sees his life without thinking of the word "stagnate" or "boring".


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