Thursday April 28th has come and gone (see my post The Other Shoe Falls (Part 2)). My last day involved tying up the loose ends of my projects the best that I could, then turning in my badge and company equipment after saying my last goodbyes.
Every day beforehand, I started off by expressing gratitude that I had a roof over my head, clothes on my back, food on the table, and a few dollars saved for that rainy day. With the unemployment rate still over 12%, I also applied for every available job and sent resumes to recruiters who carefully screened for the perfect fit by offering the opportunity to “audition” for the part on a contract-to-permanent basis.
After all that effort, I could only arrange a single phone screen for a Thursday afternoon. That phone screen was followed by an in-person interview one week later that lasted for four hours. The following week, in addition to providing the usual professional references, I was even asked to provide proof of employment going back ten years for companies that either moved out of state or simply went out of business.
Then, just like that, I started this week as a full-time employee. It seems so straightforward now, as if it was somehow scripted to happen the way that it did. Yet, as I look back over two years ago when I began this journey, every step that I have taken along the way didn't seem so orderly (see my post Changing Times). Who would have known that there always has been a meaning, purpose, and plan for my life. I just have to remember that it’s not up to me to know (or understand) all of the details.
