Let me set the stage for today’s blog. It is, after all, about me.
I left work at 5:00, something I rarely do. As I start my day at 6:30, I try to get out by 4:30. Some days, it is more like 5:30. This day, it happened to be 5:00. I drove down the little capillary that connects my office capillary to the larger artery of 19th Avenue. Two blocks. The backup at the signal was all of ½ a block long. I sat through two lights, and each light allowed 3 or 4 cars through. It was going to take at least 4 more lights to get through. AGH!
I decided to turn right instead of left at the light ahead. This allowed me to drive right up to the light, as everyone else was turning left to drive to the freeway. I could turn right, and catch an intersecting freeway and at least be moving!
At the light, I assessed the oncoming traffic. Speed limit, 45 mph. 3 lanes of oncoming traffic. Motorcycle in left lane, motorcycle in right lane. Center lane clear. Plenty of room to turn right into the center lane before the cyclists caught up to me. Go for it!
I turned right into the center lane. The motorcycle in the right lane, seeing me turn and not realizing I was headed for the center lane, moved to the center lane himself. Still no danger of causing an accident, but now the cyclist had to either ease up on the throttle or change lanes again. Although I didn’t see him do it, he apparently changed lanes again into the left lane. The other cyclist, the one already in the left lane, slowed down to accommodate him.
As the cyclist passed me, he revved his ample motor to make sure I knew he was displeased with me, then he cut in front of me dangerously close and roared off down the street.
Okay, the stage is set. What I really want to talk about is my thoughts, reactions, and decisions during and after this episode.
Frustration. 50 or so of my fellow laborers (slight exajuration) all left work at the 5:00 bell. I was at the back of the pack.
Pride. I was too full of myself to think I should have to wait in the back of this pack of humanity for my turn to get through the signal.
More pride. I was brilliant! I thought of a way around the masses to serve my own purposes.
Embarrassment. I was embarrassed that I had not thought the motorcyclist would misinterpret my actions.
Anger. Who does this guy think he is, trying to put me in my place by pointing out the fact that I had inconvenienced him.
As I drove down the street rolling these thoughts over and over in my mind, trying to decide if I had been wrong or not, the obvious became clear. Without my action of turning right in what could easily be considered an unwise manner, I began a chain of events that, 3 or 4 years ago might have escalated to a very unpleasant end. 3 or 4 years ago, I might have decided to show that arrogant cyclist that he was messing with the wrong guy.
Don’t misunderstand me; I’m not a big, tough, macho man. But I was driving a truck! No motorcycle would be my match! I would have been very angry! I would have been very wrong. I could have done something very stupid.
I began to realize that my actions began this series of events. I felt convicted of my own foolishness. I realized I needed to be more caring for others on the road, and not so much be all about me.
By this time I reached the freeway onramp. The line was ½ a block long, and the signal was only letting 3 or 4 cars through at a time.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Saturday, August 8, 2009
The hardest part of writing a blog is getting started. I mean, who's to say anybody really cares what I have to say? Once started, the blog does need so say something somewhat meaningful and relevant; at least if anyone at all is to read it. Finally, there needs to be something in the material that make the reader want to come back and see what else I might say.
Then again, there is great freedom in the thought that no one will read it at all. That's the freedom of a diary. The writer and the reader are always the same person, and the reader is infinitely interested in what the writer has to say. Especially later, when the emotionally charged moment is a memory and the only thing that remains is the history. Then the reader can look back and see how accurate the excitement or fear of the moment was.
I'm going to try and write this as if I were the only reader. I want that freedom. I think you want that candor. Let's see if I can pull it off.
Today I want to write about the experience of losing my job. It was terrible / horrible / wonderful all at the same time. Let me explain...
I had my own business for 6 1/2 years. We were mildly successful - enough to attract the attention of a larger public company called Inter-Tel. I sold to Inter-Tel in January 1994, and enjoyed myself in various positions until the company was purchased by Mitel in August 2007. Mitel, a private company, went very deeply in debt to buy Inter-Tel. The plan was to take two sub- $500M companies, streamline them, and go public again, making more than a few millionaires in the process. The only problem; the economy collapsed before Mitel could go public. No one would try to go public in this economy.
Mitel started with laying off overlapping positions. When they had trimmed the overlap, they began cutting where it hurt. They began laying off the people who made the most money. Finally, on November 6th, 2008, the President of Mitel US walked into my office. I looked at him and said, "Is it my turn to go home?"
This was not totally unexpected. I had quit taking vacation as soon as the acquisition happened, and had 8 weeks saved up. With just shy of 15 years with Inter-Tel, I also got 14 weeks severance pay. I had 22 weeks to find a job.
I had been praying for God to give me strength to survive the situation mentally. I don't think I ever considered missing any meals, but emotionally I was struggling. I had only looked for work twice before in my adult life. I was unprepared. I put my resume on Career Builder, and applied to many locations. Most never even responded. Except insurance companies. i must have gotten 2 dozen responses to my resume from insurance companies. I wasn't interested.
My former boss, Ray, was laid off the same day I was, about 30 minutes earlier. The owner of Fulton Communications in Atlanta, also an Inter-Tel alumni, had reached out to him to see if he was interested in starting a branch of Fulton in Phoenix. Ray asked if I was interested. In all honesty, I quit looking for work at that moment. Ray, however, was not yet ready to commit. That would come later.
In the meantime, I was slimming down our budget. I cut out cable TV and got the cheapest satellite available. I cut Internet down to the slowest non-dial up available. I even dropped caller ID from the phone. We were not in terrible shape financially, as we had been paying down credit cards for the last year. We had just the house, my truck, and one credit card. That credit card was no small bill, however. I had paid off a timeshare with a 0% interest transfer offer, and the monthly was huge. I signed up for Dave Ramsey's "Financial Peace University" through my church. I needed to learn how to create and follow a budget.
I cannot recommend Dave Ramsey's program enough. We now had a budget and knew we would make it. If only that job came through.
With God's help, we are now doing as well or maybe even better than before, even though I am making about 60% of what I used to. So, what have I learned?
I cannot count on mankind, jobs, luck, or anything else to give me and my family security. I can only count on God.
My wife loves me, and she trusts God more than I do. She trusts me more than I do too.
Money is not the issue. How I relate to money, how I use money... That's what is important.
Oh, Fulton Phoenix began operations on March 17, 2009. It is really hard getting people to buy in this economy, but I am betting we can win enough business to make our office worthwhile.
God Bless,
Cliff
Then again, there is great freedom in the thought that no one will read it at all. That's the freedom of a diary. The writer and the reader are always the same person, and the reader is infinitely interested in what the writer has to say. Especially later, when the emotionally charged moment is a memory and the only thing that remains is the history. Then the reader can look back and see how accurate the excitement or fear of the moment was.
I'm going to try and write this as if I were the only reader. I want that freedom. I think you want that candor. Let's see if I can pull it off.
Today I want to write about the experience of losing my job. It was terrible / horrible / wonderful all at the same time. Let me explain...
I had my own business for 6 1/2 years. We were mildly successful - enough to attract the attention of a larger public company called Inter-Tel. I sold to Inter-Tel in January 1994, and enjoyed myself in various positions until the company was purchased by Mitel in August 2007. Mitel, a private company, went very deeply in debt to buy Inter-Tel. The plan was to take two sub- $500M companies, streamline them, and go public again, making more than a few millionaires in the process. The only problem; the economy collapsed before Mitel could go public. No one would try to go public in this economy.
Mitel started with laying off overlapping positions. When they had trimmed the overlap, they began cutting where it hurt. They began laying off the people who made the most money. Finally, on November 6th, 2008, the President of Mitel US walked into my office. I looked at him and said, "Is it my turn to go home?"
This was not totally unexpected. I had quit taking vacation as soon as the acquisition happened, and had 8 weeks saved up. With just shy of 15 years with Inter-Tel, I also got 14 weeks severance pay. I had 22 weeks to find a job.
I had been praying for God to give me strength to survive the situation mentally. I don't think I ever considered missing any meals, but emotionally I was struggling. I had only looked for work twice before in my adult life. I was unprepared. I put my resume on Career Builder, and applied to many locations. Most never even responded. Except insurance companies. i must have gotten 2 dozen responses to my resume from insurance companies. I wasn't interested.
My former boss, Ray, was laid off the same day I was, about 30 minutes earlier. The owner of Fulton Communications in Atlanta, also an Inter-Tel alumni, had reached out to him to see if he was interested in starting a branch of Fulton in Phoenix. Ray asked if I was interested. In all honesty, I quit looking for work at that moment. Ray, however, was not yet ready to commit. That would come later.
In the meantime, I was slimming down our budget. I cut out cable TV and got the cheapest satellite available. I cut Internet down to the slowest non-dial up available. I even dropped caller ID from the phone. We were not in terrible shape financially, as we had been paying down credit cards for the last year. We had just the house, my truck, and one credit card. That credit card was no small bill, however. I had paid off a timeshare with a 0% interest transfer offer, and the monthly was huge. I signed up for Dave Ramsey's "Financial Peace University" through my church. I needed to learn how to create and follow a budget.
I cannot recommend Dave Ramsey's program enough. We now had a budget and knew we would make it. If only that job came through.
With God's help, we are now doing as well or maybe even better than before, even though I am making about 60% of what I used to. So, what have I learned?
I cannot count on mankind, jobs, luck, or anything else to give me and my family security. I can only count on God.
My wife loves me, and she trusts God more than I do. She trusts me more than I do too.
Money is not the issue. How I relate to money, how I use money... That's what is important.
Oh, Fulton Phoenix began operations on March 17, 2009. It is really hard getting people to buy in this economy, but I am betting we can win enough business to make our office worthwhile.
God Bless,
Cliff
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Alpha
Good day, Dear Reader,
Today I begin this rant with nothing particular to say, but grateful for a place to say it. Without further ado, let me introduce myself.
My name is Cliff, and I go by the handle cliffmeister2000 most places on the web. It all started with eBay, about eight years ago... I am so used to it, I would probably answer to it in a crowded airport.
Today I begin this rant with nothing particular to say, but grateful for a place to say it. Without further ado, let me introduce myself.
My name is Cliff, and I go by the handle cliffmeister2000 most places on the web. It all started with eBay, about eight years ago... I am so used to it, I would probably answer to it in a crowded airport.
I am Husband to 1, Father to 4, Grandpa to 5. I am a follower of Jesus Christ. I am an advocate of the Church as found in Acts. I like to make little pieces of wood out of big pieces of wood. I would like to learn to weld. I make significantly less money than I did in previous years, and am very thankful to have a job. I sell telephone systems to businesses for a living.
The purpose of this blog will be to allow me to write my thoughts. I will probably vary the topics between those things I hold dear; my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, family, friends, woodworking, camping, and maybe the occasional post about the economy, social issues, or a good joke.
Please feel free to comment, agree, disagree, complain, or encourage. As long as your responses are not vulgar or abusive, I will post them. Please remember, however, this blog is intended to be selfishly devoted to my interests. Sort of a journal available to the world to see.
Thanks for stopping by. May God richly bless you!
Cliff
The purpose of this blog will be to allow me to write my thoughts. I will probably vary the topics between those things I hold dear; my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, family, friends, woodworking, camping, and maybe the occasional post about the economy, social issues, or a good joke.
Please feel free to comment, agree, disagree, complain, or encourage. As long as your responses are not vulgar or abusive, I will post them. Please remember, however, this blog is intended to be selfishly devoted to my interests. Sort of a journal available to the world to see.
Thanks for stopping by. May God richly bless you!
Cliff
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