Taking A Leap

It's been a while since I've blogged, life's been stupid crazy...even by MY standards. Logged on and saw there have now been 99,901 hits on my blog. That made me smile.

Still don't have my car but have it down to five hundred more dollars and will be an official car owner again.

I was cleaning out our email inbox a few weeks ago. We had over 4,600 in our inbox. Most all were from job search engines. It took me forever because I read every job related message just to make sure we hadn't missed the opportunity we'd been waiting on.

I came across one in particular and clicked on it. It wasn't eight minutes from my house like my current job but thirty minutes away. I'm a firm believer if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. After much investigation, prayer and fact finding decided to give it a try.

I'm almost fifty four years old and only had three different jobs since I was twenty one. I don't like change. I prefer my comfort zone.

Lately I've realized sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures and this is definitely a desperate time in our lives. My husband recently secured a full time job, which is wonderful but doesn't immediately erase or cure our past few year's worth of accrued financial problems.

At the initial interview I commented my current employers had no idea I was talking to anyone else and not only felt intense loyalty to my current job but owed our survival mainly to the kindness and generosity of them realizing what a hard worker I was and compensating me by helping us out time and time again.

I was told the job was five days a week with two days off scheduled back to back and if I wanted to could work my other job those two days.

When I first started with my current job worked thirteen of the fourteen shifts seven days a week for well over two years, not because they asked me to but because I needed and they allowed me to.

After over an hour interview, this new company offered me a job. It was a long drawn out process but after two weeks found out I was hired.

Now came the hardest part.

How do you tell employers who saved your family and have grown to love you, gave you a great job you love that you have taken a second job? It wasn't easy and in fact  was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I was going to tell the owner the night before I started orientation for the other job but he left early and instead had to tell his wife.

After explaining my situation asked if they could work with me for two weeks while I completed training and then would be more than happy to work both my off days for them pulling double shifts on both days giving me four shifts to work for them after my five at the new place. Working seven days a week is nothing new to me and knew I could do it...if only they would let me.

She wasn't happy but said she understood. She hugged my neck and I told her I loved her. I cried like a baby, she even teared up and when all was said and done simply looked at me and said "I hate that you're having to go through this." I told her that made two of us but the decision had absolutely nothing to do with them but to do with what was best for my family.

We've once again fallen behind on our mortgage and the giants at Hells Fargo are chomping at the bit to take our house since we are four years away from pay off. Most people in our situation are upside down in their mortgages and the bank works with them because they'll take a huge hit if they foreclose. With us, they'll take our house and sell it for a huge profit.

My nerves are shot, I'm a complete wreck crippled with guilt but if this new job works out like I think it will, after six months we'll be back on top and moving forward instead of constantly spinning our wheels and worrying about always borrowing from Peter to pay Paul.

I have no plans to leave my current job and don't desire to. I simply have to take this leap of faith or fall into the financial abyss below.

My boss is upset with me and  totally understand his feelings. Not to brag but am one of the strongest servers he has and he'll be losing me two shifts a week.

I'm torn, I'm conflicted but desperate. When push comes to shove I HAVE to think of my own family before I think about my current working family.

He hasn't spoken to me very much but been amazingly restrained. It helps that when I now go into work, even work harder (if that's possible) and from the time I walk in til the time I walk out do nothing but bust my skinny butt.

I didn't want it to happen this way...but SOMETHING had to happen and happen quickly. I've been called a lot of things, some true and some not but you can never call me a quitter.

I feel this may be the opportunity we've been waiting for. I feel this may be one of the  answers. I feel like I can't turn this chance down.

I'm taking a leap of faith.

Webster's defines Feeling as an effective state, such as that resulting from emotions or desires: a feeling of excitement.

I'm a lot of things but loyal to a fault. I am still loyal to my current bosses. If my husband still made what he did a few years back would be perfectly happy to remain in my current digs, eight minutes from home.

I'm stepping out of the box,  taking the leap and hoping I don't fall flat on my face.

Wish me luck...and pray for me.


Til next time   COTTON