I've stopped mid-packing just now. Shirts and socks and make sure the Soul is in the case. Another early cab and a flight to catch a flight to another place and then the rental and then the customers. And I won't be back until Thursday late.

How can we do this better... how can we do that better... we can do those for you, you know...

And I'll be missing my wife and missing my office and missing my shower. MY shower. MY sink. MY mirror.

Today I stood in the middle of our new facility, looking at the ceiling, listening to the molders and the lathes, beside the bins of parts and rails and treads of 20 different species of well-milled lumber and wondered what it would be like to be running a printing press on the clock again - like I did when we were first married.

Punch in and punch out and run your jobs and go home. Then stay home and sleep at home. And wake up at home. And let somebody else worry about the margin and what's out there to get and where the new orders will be coming from.

I can get by making less than I am right now. It wouldn't be an economic stretch. I've put a lot aside, and the bills would still be manageable. Ten years, twelve years and out. Then coffee on the deck and books and ship models and out to dinner with friends and no required attendance in the midst of some factory and office.

What if I just said "screw it"? And scaled back, and hunkered down, and simplified, and took the load off. What would happen then, I wonder?

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At 8:08 PM,  Dan Patterson said...

You know good an g-damned well what would happen: You and your wife would be immeasurably happier and you would live your life with a different platter of stress than you presently have served to you.

Don't be a dead guy with good margins and lots of accounts that will flee as soon as the obit is in the paper. Don't wish you were in a better place. Put yourself there. Another shop would welcome your experience and make you a valuable asset.

Best of luck.

Dan Patterson
Arrogant Infidel

 

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At 8:13 PM,  RW said...

dan - you really need to get me your blog addy, you know.

 

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At 8:51 PM,  Dave2 said...

Sigh. I wish I had a nickel for each time I thought about chucking it all and taking a job at McDonalds.

 

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At 9:15 PM,  bobgirrl said...

What Dan said. Plus what's the worst that could happen? If you find that the money doesn't quite stretch far enough, then go back to doing what you do now.

 

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At 11:11 PM,  jolie said...

I'd like a beach, a drink stand, some sunscreen...yeah that would do it. I could be a beachbum bartender. I'd be really good at it. Too bad Bubba hates sand...

 

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At 5:02 PM,  Suzanne said...

I feel somehow responsible for kicking off the whole "what if you could?"

Granted that I hardly know you, but I have always been an advocate of taking the risk and seeing what better might happen, rather than living a life of "if only" regrets.

Like Bobgirrl said, you can always go back to what you're doing now (or some version of it), but you won't know how much happier you may be with Dan's different platter of stresses.

I say take the plunge! Be bold and give it a shot. What's the worst that could happen?

 

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At 9:43 AM,  Agent Bedhead said...

1. You would get enormously bored after polishing your Official Chase Car ten times a day.

2. You would enjoy yourself, write some publishable memoirs and maybe a damn good novel or two.

 

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At 9:53 AM,  The Mentor Mom said...

I totally agree with Dan and the others...go for it! I pondered the same question about five years ago and as a result am in a job that I absolutely love with little stress, great pay and LOTS of time with my family. It never would have happened if I hadn't taken the risk :)

 

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At 5:00 AM,  Anonymous said...

Nooo!!! Don't leave us wage slaves! Misery loves company...

 

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At 8:51 AM,  RW said...

Thank you everybody - I do have some things to think over.

 

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At 2:38 AM,  Agent Bedhead said...

Remember, I am always correct in these things. And even if I'm wrong, you'd still have more time to spend with Emma before adults become uncool to her. ;-)

 

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At 2:16 PM,  Dan Patterson said...

Agent Bedhead:
RW has an Official Chase Car??

Dan

 

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At 3:34 PM,  RW said...

Dan - check the bottom of the page...

 

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At 6:42 AM,  Dan Patterson said...

Well I'll be. He really DOES have a chase car!

Dan

 

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