Jobs are such a crazy thing. I for one have never fared well in the corporate world.
Now, not because I can not do the work or put in the effort, but mostly because I have issues with authority.
All the Signs
Well, authority that I do not believe deserve have earned that authority. I think that is how to put it correctly.
Basically, my last job in the corporate world was at a Real Estate Law Firm. Yes, even though I stay home with my kids I am still educated and have a brain… sorry… another soap box of mine about stay-at-home moms being ignorant.
Ok, back to the subject at hand. I was able to quickly work my way up the ladder in the law firm to the point where they developed a new position just for me.
Times were changing—this was back in 2003—and I was just the one to handle the new way things were to being done. And, then, completely out of the blue, in order to put this girl in the office somewhere, they decided,
“Hey? Why not make her your boss?”
Ummm… sure even though she has no idea what I do and has never worked in this department before. Why not!
Yeah, I spent most of my day working my booty off while “she” sat in the cubicle next to me talking to her husband on the phone about her dogs. Seriously? After three years at the law firm, I was done.
All that just to get to Colby. You see, Colby is a high school drop-out. He pretty much left school his junior year after getting kicked out of his house {you know, for dating me and me being Mexican and all} in order to find work and support himself.
As soon as I turned 18 we moved in together and the rest is history from there. He has been working hard for the money ever since. He does so well taking care of our family and never complains.
For the past three years he has been selling insurance with his P&C license. Honestly, he hates sales but it was a great opportunity at the time and his office is a 3 mile round trip from home!
He is home every day for lunch and the hours are flexible. Those are really the only good points about it other than it IS a job with a steady income!
Colby’s agent has not been in the office for almost a year. He took on another position on the side to bring in more money {for himself really} and help pay overhead for the company.
So, basically, Colby and his part time office worker (who is great by the way) have held down all the business for the past year. Everything really!
But, alas, Colby is tired of the competitive sales and the fact that our livelihood depends on how many items he sells each month. If he sells so many items his agent gives him a bonus. That bonus is the only way we are able to stay above water financially.
Well, when his agent returns to the office, supposedly in August, that bonus goes away. Not good for us!
Plus, there are no benefits offered at the company. With our family of seven and sick kiddos quite often… this is kind of a big deal!
And, as Colby puts it, “we’re not getting any younger.”
In addition to that, his agent called to day to tell him that if they do not sell $1,000 in life annuities by the end of the month then their contract will be pulled and the office will be shut down! Really?! OMGoodness! Aaaaahhhhh!
Deep breaths. I CAN do this! We CAN do this! We have been in worse positions before.
We had already began discussing a possible change in careers yesterday afternoon as we were driving home from the hospital with Monkey (she has a viral infection causing massive rash all over her body) so at least we are open to the change.
In fact, when we got home with Chinese for lunch and finished up with our fortune cookies, I cracked up when I read Colby’s. It read,
“Avoid unchallenging occupations – They waste your talents“.
HaHa! Irony perhaps? We do not believe in karma or any of that, but we do believe that God can work in mysterious ways: even if it’s a message in a fortune cookie I guess!
Colby would love to try something new and perhaps not as tedious. Realizing he would have to start all over again at the bottom is not a good thing, but seeing opportunity for advancement somewhere else is promising.
I know that in today’s day and age we are just grateful that he has a job at all… please understand my heart when I say that.
But, at the same time I am so ready for Colby to just be in a position where he enjoys going to work everyday!
In fact, if I had MY way, I would have him working at a desk here beside me at home! Now that would be awesome!
But, hey, I can do this!
