A few weeks ago I got the strangest phone call" "Hello Mr. Downey? We're curious if you want to interview for a position here."
"Here" was Riverside County, California.
After getting my jaw off the floor and gathering my wits again, my answer was a shaky "Yes?!"
It seems the application I sent in out of curiosity a year or so ago had floated to the top of a pile and I was being considered for a job. The job was basically the equivalent of what I do now only for a bunch more money. In California. Where its warm. The HR lady said there were five openings and 30 people on the list. There would be a preliminary interview, a written test, a second interview, and possibly an offer.
So I interviewed. Pass. Written test. Wait. Then another call. Want to come interview with the bosses? Yes, when? December 23. Ok, let me book a flight. Thank you Mr. Downey, we'll see you then.
Yikes.
And then some reality set in. I talked to a few people about it. My home base in SoCal said I had a temporary home if I moved, but can I stand to be away from family for 2.5 years? My current boss said he would miss me but he couldn't blame for going for it, but can the family stand the separation?
And so we talked. And talked. And talked. The bottom line became apparent, even though I knew what it was while I was on the phone with them the first time. Kandy knew it too but didn't want to burst my bubble.
Its too soon.
My 16 year old daughter just made the break from her mother and moved in with me. She graduates in 2011, and wants to go to school in California. But if I moved now, she would have to go back with her mother. Not the end of the world but not what she wanted. Our other 16 year old is only a sophomore so it will be 2012 before he graduates. Since we don't want to move him half a continent away from his father right now that became another hurdle. And its just not that easy to move kids away from their non-custodial parents.
The biggest reality is that Kandy and I didn't want to be apart that long. It would be easy for me to live in beautiful Southern California in some tiny apartment. But would it be fair to her to take care of things at home - alone? And, we'd be lonely. Not that either of were worried about the other but 2.5 years is a long long time. Too long.
I called them back. Sorry, I have to withdraw. I will try again in a year or so.
Was I sad? Yes. Angry? No. The opportunity was there once, it will be there again. God won't dangle that carrot only once.
4 comments:
You'll know when it's right. Good call on not being selfish. The payback on that will be more than any amount of money.
if it's meant to be, it's meant to be... and this time, it clearly wasn't meant to be.
you definitely made the right call...
Well, this was kind of a test run so you can see what all needs to be done and put in place. Timing is everything and now you know when the right time is and you know that no matter how you cut it this just wasn't the right time. Now you can start actually putting a time frame together. So...you have 2 years to eat as much Runza as possible before you move.
Sounds like it made you do some real soul searching.
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