Breathe In. Breathe Out. Move On.
I quit my job on October 24, 2011.
I stepped out of a job that paid a decent salary, provided health care benefits, and promised a retirement income.
I had plenty of reasons for doing so. The main reason I gave my family for quitting was that the job was so stressful it adversely affected my health. That was the truth.
A blood pressure reading of 150/124 is pretty adverse, right? So is blurred vision, a pounding heart and hearing loss caused by high blood pressure. That job was literally, physically killing me.
But the other reason I quit is because I just flat out hated the job. I repeat: I HATED my job.
There were parts of it that I liked a great deal. But I disagreed with the administration about the way my particular program was being run. Therein lay the trouble.
Not only was I dying physically, I was dying spiritually as well.
Anyway…I’m not one to take death lightly, neither the physical nor the spiritual kind.
So here I am. I’m living in the real world again instead of living in the somewhat unrealistic, although somewhat comfortable academic world.
But, hey, at least I’m living!
I know I’m supposed to complain about the terrible economy and lack of jobs. But I found a job before I turned in my resignation. I also found another one. And another one.
Altogether, three part-time jobs net me about one-third of the money I made by teaching.
I’m really busy. But my blood pressure is normal again without the aid of medication.
I’m 56 years old. I work three part-time, slightly above minimum wage, jobs. I don’t have a reliable income. I don’t have a retirement account. I don’t have health care coverage.
But I have a dream. And I couldn’t make it come true while I was barely functioning at stroke level.
I guess we’ll just see how this all turns out.
In the meantime, I breathe in. I breathe out. I move on.
