New Job, Old Feelings

I guess I spent too many years in the highly unstable radio business. One of my fellow employees at my brand new, part time-job said something early in the week that made me think my neck was already on the chopping block. She said that she and the other woman in the office were meeting for lunch with the boss, and it was about something I probably wouldn’t like.

My chest tightened, my stomach began to ache and my imagination went rampant with all kinds of scenarios about what I might have done wrong to get myself fired so soon after finally landing a job that I like amongst people I also like. Well, it turns out that our boss announced at lunch that she had accepted a new job with the county and had given her two weeks notice. When I told the gals what my imagination had conjured up during their luncheon meeting, they felt pretty badly about it and assured me that I’m “a keeper.”

Then, the next day I got called into the boss’s office by one of her bosses. The tummy tumbled again and the imaginary rope around my chest cinched tightly as the office door closed behind me. “Shit!” I’m thinking. How much of this kind of thing can an old fart like me take before he just drops dead in his tracks?

As it turns out, they wanted to know if I’d be willing to take on more hours – even go full-time to take on some of the administrative duties that my soon-to-be ex-boss has been handling. Well, yessss I informed them. So, beginning Tuesday, I’ll be a full-time employee – at least temporarily. This is a non-profit company and does have to watch the bottom line with administrative costs, so until the dust has settled and my current boss has been replaced and responsibilities are reevaluated and prioritized, I am to consider my full-time status as temporary. That said – I’m pretty happy with the way things are turning out. Now, if I could just get rid of this nagging feeling of impending doom I’ve been carrying around since my radio days….

My wife is scheduled for her second carpel tunnel surgery Monday morning. Left wrist this time. We’ll both be happy when this ordeal is over. But not as happy as I’ll be if my beloved Seahawks will the Super Bowl on Sunday! I’ve been waiting a looooong time for this game!