On Career Change...

Over the course of time our sessions grew more infrequent, until they seemed to stop.

I never worried about it as long as I knew that he was healthy and doing what he loved...

He was always there when I needed advice...in actuality it was when I needed someone to help me pull the answer from within...

It was strange...there would be times that months would pass, between our conversations, and they seemed to take off right where they left off...in fact, I began writing down the last few sentences of our conversations and I discovered that they actually did!

Time and distance made no impact on this relationship! It almost seemed other dimensional! I guess that strange was not a good descriptor...it was eerie!

Most of our contact, of late, was not for mentoring sessions or strategic discussions...but for answers to crossword puzzles! That is how we stayed in touch! He discovered that I had a passion for these puzzles and he went as far as to specifically find which ones I worked (daily) and would find local newspapers that had the same one!

He always told me that working the crossword puzzle and knowing that at some point during the day I was doing the same...kept up in "lock-step." It was his way of staying in touch without contact...unless he needed an answer!

English was his second language and he found it entertaining and challenging! Crossword puzzle hints gave him a deeper understanding of the meanings behind the words! He told me that his mind expanded logarithmically when he began trying to find the right word!

He also told me that much could be learned from what an individual does for entertainment or relaxation! A lot of an individual's true nature and abilities are exposed when they least expect it! Watch people closely!

Much can also be seen in what an individual does in excess...

The nature of an individual in found in the middle...their meaning is found at the extremes!

That elicited the image of a bell-curve whenever I heard him say that!

The most frequently occurring behaviors is driven by the nature...that is a person's habits...

What they truly are is shown by how far they go!

These thought were going through my mind as I contemplated an offer for a position with a company that required not only relocation but a totally different skill-set! I would have to say that it met every criteria for a "career change!"

What would he advise I thought?

The offer letter and my resignation sat next to each other on my desk...

Opportunities like this only come once in a lifetime! I need to take it...but...

I have NEVER done anything like that before in my life! Why did they come to me with this opportunity?

Perhaps he set this up...to test me!

If that is the case...there is something bigger in store for me after I decline the offer!

My mind ran every scenario...

None of them really made sense...

I called him and left voice messages...

I sent email...

He never really responded to either...so the silence was not disconcerting or directive!

It was just him!

I guess that I have to figure this out on my own...

Then my phone rang!

He voice as gruff as it was...was like a soothing salve!

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" I asked...

"Africa" he replied...I calculated the time difference and figured that depending where in Africa he was it was at least 3am!

Then he asked, "Did you work today's crossword?"

"Yes..." I impatiently retorted!

"What is the a pastoral spot?" he asked...

"How many letters?" I inquired...

"3" he laughed..."I thought you said you worked today's puzzle..."

"I did...that one was from 4 days ago!" I laughed back...

"Well?" he prodded...

"L-E-A" I responded...

"What the %$#@ is a lea?" he commented...

"A pastoral spot" I admonished...

"Thanks," he said, "Got that one done! Not bad huh?"

Then I thought about the location of that word on the puzzle...he knew that answer! It was a self-filling one! The horizontal clues we Greek and Latin and mathematics...he didn't need an answer! What is he up to!

"Glad I could help..." I said, "Have a productive trip...when are you coming back?"

"A couple of months" he responded...

"OK...I'll see you then" I said, "talk with you..."

"Hold on there Socrates...you figured me out!" he confessed "I didn't need that answer. But it was the only one I could remember! You are getting good!"

"So you want me to tell you whether you should take that job or not...right?" he inquired

"Yes..." I responded...

"So would you take that job if you didn't have one now?" He prodded...

"Absolutely! I have to eat!" came my immediate reply...

He laughed...one of those laughs that required a response! I tarried in the response...just to see where he was going with his thoughts...

In that "pregnant pause'" I heard his office chair squeak in the background...so I knew that he was "taking the position" I also heard the familiar click of the ice in his glass...knowing he was sipping "his rum" without me...but then...we are talking...It was time for me to listen...he was about to remove that sliver and release the answer that was within me!

"So my guess is that you received the offer letter today...and that it is on your desk sitting in front of you...just to your right. Just to the left of it...is your resignation...the one you and I typed up years ago...still unsigned..."

I had to admit to him that he was dead-on! "I wish that I could do that!" I commented...

"You can!" he replied..."But that is not for today...at least not right now!"

"This sounds like a MAJOR career change for you! That is an interesting topic..."

"I can make the argument that it is and is not on our development plan for you...so we can't use that!"

Have you changed since I last saw you?...DON'T ANSWER! I think not!

"So what are the reasons for taking this new position?"

He allowed me to talk for almost 15 minutes...and during that time I went over everything that I thought was on the "Plus/Minus" list...

He focused on more money...which was exactly not what I was thinking of!

He focused on the fact that this was a great company...but no better than the one that I was working for...

He went back to the money...and my comment about eating...and about how much better I could be eating...

He rambled so much that I actually hoped that he would stop and take a drink...but he didn't!

Then he stopped as abruptly as he started!

"I bet that you need a good lea!"

"What?" I asked

"A lea! A secluded and quiet pastoral spot to contemplate the future..."

"Oh...lea"...I said..."I thought you said..." and he laughed!"

"In reality the decision is yours and yours alone..."

"They pay you well..."

"You have your boss under control..."

"You grow and learn everyday..."

"There is no guarantee that it is going to be any better...just remember that..."

"From he who much is paid...much more is expected..."

"Is the change worth it?"

"I bet you could use a drink of my rum huh?" he asked

"I sure could!" I replied..."I can almost taste it..." but it is so nice just to talk with you...and off I went on a short exposition on how hard it is to make these decisions...and I wonder if they really mattered...

I look up and there he was...with a huge smile and two glasses!

"Here's to your decision" he toasted...

...and it was one of the best decisions I ever made!