12 days to go. I've been at this job for almost 19 years, and in 12 more days I'm done with it. When I first started there, it was out of
the necessity of I HAVE to have a job. I moved to Florida from New York (I always say New York is a great place to be from) after being laid off, well, let's be honest and say fired from my job as a truck tire repair man. Not the greatest job but I made 9 bucks an hour plus overtime and back in the early 80s that wasn't bad. Lost my mind to cocaine, though, and that made it a total waste of my life up to that point. So, I did what any straight thinking person would do. Packed up my wife and 2 year old son and moved FAR away, to start all over. Worked in retail, in 1 hour photo service and became one of the best in the business. I made close to 3 million bucks in bottom line profit dollars for this company, over 19 years. Now my job is no longer important due to digital technology, and my way of doing things (which means actually caring about people and making the most of what I have at my disposal) is no longer the way things are done. We are now generic, mass produced garbage, and before my own eyes I have become a dinosaur.
So, what to do? What do I like to do? I like to drive. I like to travel around and see different places. I went to trucking school and got my class A license, and beginning in January I will be doing just that, travelling the country in my rig, and making better money than I have at any time in my life. There's a lot to be said for quitting what you hate and doing what you like. So, if you are on the interstate and you pass a big 18 wheeler blasting the Ramones , wave hello, and I'll be sure to wave back. I finally get to live the way I want, and in this life you can't ask for anything more.