The Career Change
A brief story, one wonders if they made the right decisions for their career . A little serious, a little humorous.
"How's it going dad?"
"SON OF A... You surprised me Chris, what are you doing,,, how did you know I was here?"
"I stopped by the house and mom told me you were here, said it was your favorite hang-out since you retired."
"Yea, you know, I've got more time then money and anyway I need a break now and then.
"I can understand, you deserve a break after all those years of working, what was it, close to fifty years with the company?"
"Fifty years to the day son," dad said with a smile, "almost to the day, started just out of high school and stayed until I was sixty-eight. Started in the factory as a laborer and worked hard, nose to the grind stone, and worked my way up to assistant plant manager. Hard work, but it paid off in the end."
Dad always likes to give me a mini-lecture on the virtue's of honest hard work and saving your money. Always throws in the nose to the grind stone line, like he invented it.
"How long have you been coming to this coffee shop, dad?" As I look around, this must be one of the last, mom and pop, privately owned, restaurants around, I think to myself.
"Oh, probably about twenty-five years or so , about as long as they been open, hey Walt, how long has this place been here?" Dad turns his attention to the apron clad Walt standing behind the counter. Walt cast a disinterested gaze at dad, "oh about twenty-eight years, I started cooking here about a year or so after they opened and I been cooking here for the last twenty-five years or so." Walt gazes around the entire cafe and turns and walks back to the small kitchen with the same lack of interest.
I traced the same path as Walt did with my eyes and took in a half dozen booths lining one long wall, a center aisle of sorts divided the booths and the counter area where dad and I are seated. The small dinner faced the main street with two large windows divided by an old glass and wood framed door and the mandatory small bell affixed to the top to announce each patrons entrance and exit. As I returned my attention to dad, Ethel our waitress, actually the down town gossip disguised as a waitress is standing in front of us, " Well, what will it be boy's more coffee, how about something to eat, you know we sell food here." "Ethel," dad starts, "how long have you been here?" Dad trying to get in a dig about Ethel's age. "I just happen to be standing on this spot when they started to build the place, and I needed a job so I thought I would stay, how's that?" It seems Ethel and dad have been at each other's throat's for years, something about dad never leaving a tip.
"Two more cups of coffee and how fresh is that pie in the case over there?" "Not as fresh as you are." Ethel's' typical answer to my father. "Give us two apple, please," dad tones down his attitude. "Two coffee and two apple pie, looks like a big tip today Walt," Ethel shoots a look at Walt for dad's benefit. Walt smiles back half-heartedly.
"Well Chris, here it is Saturday afternoon, a nice sunny summer afternoon, and you're here with me, you're old man, something must be wrong. Where is Jean and the kids?"
"Ah, Jean and the kids went to the movies, some kiddy marathon over at the mall, Jean thought it would be nice to take the kids to the movies today."
"And you son, why didn't you go with, a family thing, you know?"
"I decided that may be a day off from family matters might do me some good, things are getting rough at work lately, cost cutting and lay-offs." a worried look on dad's face, "are you looking at losing your job Chris?" "Oh no dad, there's no problem there, they have assured me that with my seniority I'm good." "Okay son, then what's wrong, money problems?" "Monies good dad, don't worry about that." "Well then son, what is it?" "Not one of those mid-life crisis things that everybody is talking about?" I laughed and answered dad, "no dad no mid-life crisis and how did you ever learn that term, I thought you lived back in the dark ages, I know how you are about change, remember the cell phone thing you and I went through?" "Yes son, and I still don't use it." "Give it try someday dad, join us in the twenty-first century, you may get used to it." "Pass son, it's old school for me, for good." "Okay dad, I don't feel up to arguing with you about modern conveniences." "That's my boy, let a sleeping dog lay."
"Well Chris, then what's the problem, I can't imagine why your sitting here today with me and Jean and the kids are at the movies."
"A career change dad, I've been thinking about some other profession, you know a different type of job, I feel I'm just getting burned out where I'm at, stuck in a rut."
With his coffee cup to his lips dad turns and faces me with a raised eyebrow, "tell me more son, what brought this on so suddenly?" "Well it wasn't so sudden actually, I've been thinking about it for several months now, talked it over with Jean and she left it up to me, in a way." I quickly added, "I've been an accountant for over fifteen years, built up a good reputation here in town and have a little money in savings and would like to venture out into something else, my major was accounting in college and my minor was journalism, maybe something in the writing field." Dad set his coffee cup down and glanced around for Ethel. "Two more coffee's, Ethel," dad said as he caught Ethel's eye. "Please dad, you're supposed to say please, remember." Dad looks at me confused, "you mean say please to Ethel to serve me, she's getting paid to do that anyway,,, "dad c'mon, just say please, what's it going to hurt?" "Okay, okay, PLEASE Ethel may we have two cups of coffee?" "How's that son, better?" "Maybe I can teach an old dog new tricks, yes dad that is much better, you're learning."
Ethel strolls up to us with a fresh brewed pot of coffee and a weary eye on dad, "that must have been you Chris that ordered the coffee because I have never heard words like that come out of your father's mouth." "No Ethel, it was him," as I give a nod toward dad, "I'll see if I can fine-tune him for society as we go along." Ethel smiles at me, "good luck with that."
"We're losing focus here son, now with this career change stuff, fill me in." Ethel finishes pouring our coffee and leaves me with a smile and completely ignoring dad.
"I'm still trying to figure out exactly what I want to do, but it's not what I'm doing now." "Remember son you still have to make a living at it, it would be like starting over, you remember that, right?" "Yeah dad, I remember, it was rough the first few years for Jean and myself, very little money and that small apartment." "Right son, and you didn't have Paul and Leslie yet. Those are the things that you have to consider, their well-being." I set my coffee cup down while staring straight ahead, "yeah dad, you have a good point and I did consider all those points, I'm an accountant, remember, I don't make changes without contemplating all the angles, but with the job I have, sometimes it's a little easier to think with my heart then with my head, you know what I'm talking about."
"Let me tell you something son, and I really don't want to sway your ideas one way or another, but all those years at the factory were no picnic, I can't tell you how many times I was tempted to just walk out. It wasn't easy but I managed to make the best of it. Sometimes, over the years I wondered if I made the right choice. But here I am, and no worse for the experience, the path not taken son, the path not taken." Dad picks up his coffee cup while staring into the distance, a look on his face like he lost something, maybe a better career or some long forgotten adventure. "If you're looking for advice I have none, only to say plan carefully, look at every option, which I know by now you already have."
"Everyone I've talk to dad has put a different spin on my career change feelings, from staying with what I have and making the best of it to taking the leap. There seems to be no middle ground, I was hoping to bounce a few ideas off you." "Bounce away son, but for me to tell you something definite would be foolish, I would hate to bring about any problems for you and Jean and the kids." "I can appreciate that dad, and I'm sure that any advice from you would be tempered with your knowledge and experience." "Look son, your mother and I have raised you the best we could, made sure that you got the best of everything we could provide and you have made us both proud, so I'm sure you are going to make the right choice for you and your family."
"SON OF A... You surprised me Chris, what are you doing,,, how did you know I was here?"
"I stopped by the house and mom told me you were here, said it was your favorite hang-out since you retired."
"Yea, you know, I've got more time then money and anyway I need a break now and then.
"I can understand, you deserve a break after all those years of working, what was it, close to fifty years with the company?"
"Fifty years to the day son," dad said with a smile, "almost to the day, started just out of high school and stayed until I was sixty-eight. Started in the factory as a laborer and worked hard, nose to the grind stone, and worked my way up to assistant plant manager. Hard work, but it paid off in the end."
Dad always likes to give me a mini-lecture on the virtue's of honest hard work and saving your money. Always throws in the nose to the grind stone line, like he invented it.
"How long have you been coming to this coffee shop, dad?" As I look around, this must be one of the last, mom and pop, privately owned, restaurants around, I think to myself.
"Oh, probably about twenty-five years or so , about as long as they been open, hey Walt, how long has this place been here?" Dad turns his attention to the apron clad Walt standing behind the counter. Walt cast a disinterested gaze at dad, "oh about twenty-eight years, I started cooking here about a year or so after they opened and I been cooking here for the last twenty-five years or so." Walt gazes around the entire cafe and turns and walks back to the small kitchen with the same lack of interest.
I traced the same path as Walt did with my eyes and took in a half dozen booths lining one long wall, a center aisle of sorts divided the booths and the counter area where dad and I are seated. The small dinner faced the main street with two large windows divided by an old glass and wood framed door and the mandatory small bell affixed to the top to announce each patrons entrance and exit. As I returned my attention to dad, Ethel our waitress, actually the down town gossip disguised as a waitress is standing in front of us, " Well, what will it be boy's more coffee, how about something to eat, you know we sell food here." "Ethel," dad starts, "how long have you been here?" Dad trying to get in a dig about Ethel's age. "I just happen to be standing on this spot when they started to build the place, and I needed a job so I thought I would stay, how's that?" It seems Ethel and dad have been at each other's throat's for years, something about dad never leaving a tip.
"Two more cups of coffee and how fresh is that pie in the case over there?" "Not as fresh as you are." Ethel's' typical answer to my father. "Give us two apple, please," dad tones down his attitude. "Two coffee and two apple pie, looks like a big tip today Walt," Ethel shoots a look at Walt for dad's benefit. Walt smiles back half-heartedly.
"Well Chris, here it is Saturday afternoon, a nice sunny summer afternoon, and you're here with me, you're old man, something must be wrong. Where is Jean and the kids?"
"Ah, Jean and the kids went to the movies, some kiddy marathon over at the mall, Jean thought it would be nice to take the kids to the movies today."
"And you son, why didn't you go with, a family thing, you know?"
"I decided that may be a day off from family matters might do me some good, things are getting rough at work lately, cost cutting and lay-offs." a worried look on dad's face, "are you looking at losing your job Chris?" "Oh no dad, there's no problem there, they have assured me that with my seniority I'm good." "Okay son, then what's wrong, money problems?" "Monies good dad, don't worry about that." "Well then son, what is it?" "Not one of those mid-life crisis things that everybody is talking about?" I laughed and answered dad, "no dad no mid-life crisis and how did you ever learn that term, I thought you lived back in the dark ages, I know how you are about change, remember the cell phone thing you and I went through?" "Yes son, and I still don't use it." "Give it try someday dad, join us in the twenty-first century, you may get used to it." "Pass son, it's old school for me, for good." "Okay dad, I don't feel up to arguing with you about modern conveniences." "That's my boy, let a sleeping dog lay."
"Well Chris, then what's the problem, I can't imagine why your sitting here today with me and Jean and the kids are at the movies."
"A career change dad, I've been thinking about some other profession, you know a different type of job, I feel I'm just getting burned out where I'm at, stuck in a rut."
With his coffee cup to his lips dad turns and faces me with a raised eyebrow, "tell me more son, what brought this on so suddenly?" "Well it wasn't so sudden actually, I've been thinking about it for several months now, talked it over with Jean and she left it up to me, in a way." I quickly added, "I've been an accountant for over fifteen years, built up a good reputation here in town and have a little money in savings and would like to venture out into something else, my major was accounting in college and my minor was journalism, maybe something in the writing field." Dad set his coffee cup down and glanced around for Ethel. "Two more coffee's, Ethel," dad said as he caught Ethel's eye. "Please dad, you're supposed to say please, remember." Dad looks at me confused, "you mean say please to Ethel to serve me, she's getting paid to do that anyway,,, "dad c'mon, just say please, what's it going to hurt?" "Okay, okay, PLEASE Ethel may we have two cups of coffee?" "How's that son, better?" "Maybe I can teach an old dog new tricks, yes dad that is much better, you're learning."
Ethel strolls up to us with a fresh brewed pot of coffee and a weary eye on dad, "that must have been you Chris that ordered the coffee because I have never heard words like that come out of your father's mouth." "No Ethel, it was him," as I give a nod toward dad, "I'll see if I can fine-tune him for society as we go along." Ethel smiles at me, "good luck with that."
"We're losing focus here son, now with this career change stuff, fill me in." Ethel finishes pouring our coffee and leaves me with a smile and completely ignoring dad.
"I'm still trying to figure out exactly what I want to do, but it's not what I'm doing now." "Remember son you still have to make a living at it, it would be like starting over, you remember that, right?" "Yeah dad, I remember, it was rough the first few years for Jean and myself, very little money and that small apartment." "Right son, and you didn't have Paul and Leslie yet. Those are the things that you have to consider, their well-being." I set my coffee cup down while staring straight ahead, "yeah dad, you have a good point and I did consider all those points, I'm an accountant, remember, I don't make changes without contemplating all the angles, but with the job I have, sometimes it's a little easier to think with my heart then with my head, you know what I'm talking about."
"Let me tell you something son, and I really don't want to sway your ideas one way or another, but all those years at the factory were no picnic, I can't tell you how many times I was tempted to just walk out. It wasn't easy but I managed to make the best of it. Sometimes, over the years I wondered if I made the right choice. But here I am, and no worse for the experience, the path not taken son, the path not taken." Dad picks up his coffee cup while staring into the distance, a look on his face like he lost something, maybe a better career or some long forgotten adventure. "If you're looking for advice I have none, only to say plan carefully, look at every option, which I know by now you already have."
"Everyone I've talk to dad has put a different spin on my career change feelings, from staying with what I have and making the best of it to taking the leap. There seems to be no middle ground, I was hoping to bounce a few ideas off you." "Bounce away son, but for me to tell you something definite would be foolish, I would hate to bring about any problems for you and Jean and the kids." "I can appreciate that dad, and I'm sure that any advice from you would be tempered with your knowledge and experience." "Look son, your mother and I have raised you the best we could, made sure that you got the best of everything we could provide and you have made us both proud, so I'm sure you are going to make the right choice for you and your family."
Post Comment
