Man Your Battle Stations - We're at Level Orange

Work is work, but I have been faithful to a company far longer than I should have. For almost two years the grapevine has been filled with speculation, whispers, closed door meetings, and mixed emotions. But, what do you do when the promise of things getting better is killed and the realty sets in that things will remain as they always have.

A career is a relationship like any other and letting go is never easy. Or maybe it is like being on a battleship. Most days, you sit and man your station and there is no threat. You really like your crew mates. But you are on an older ship in the fleet, in much need of repair. But, you are comfortable. Besides, its better than being in the ocean (unemployed), right? Then half way through your tour, you notice that maintenance crews are touring your ship, but are only taking notes of the damage on the ship. So you put your all into it manning your station and hope and pray that your ship will be fixed.

Then after two years, you look around and nothing has changed, but they keep telling you that it is in the works. Well, then your friends and family (co-workers) begin to talk about the repairs needed on the ship. You get nervous, so you put in transfer papers (new job) and could leave your ship. But, the new ship has some of the maintenance problems the old one had. Then your captain tells you that the general is aware of the problems and will have them fixed by the end of the month. So, you decide to stick it out with your current ship. You reinvest yourself to manning your station.

A few months later it all still hasn’t occurred. And your curiosity has been becoming nervousness and the nervousness enters your thoughts every so often. Then, the battleship takes a hit and they tell you there have been budget cuts, some of the crew will be dropped into the ocean with a life jacket. Nonplused doesn’t even begin to describe how you feel. The nervousness hits the panic button. “ALL HANDS ON DECK!!!!” The ship is sinking and we’re scrambling for the life rafts (God and a new career). And you are stuck with the task of helping bail water out of your sinking ship while still looking for the life raft. And you ask yourself, “Is it more important to bail or more important to look for the raft?”

That’s where I’m at career wise. Level Orange – High Alert. I still know no matter what, we’ll be fine, but that doesn’t make the unknown more fun, just less frightening. Fight or Flight Mode in full force. What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.

Today’s song (Sorry, I am a child of the 80’s) Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” OR you know what, we’ll go with Van Halen's "Riht Now"