You'll notice that I rarely, if ever, talk about my employment on this site (or on-line at all). This is more about maintaining a balance between my work and my personal life than about any concern with repercussions for what I say here.My work position is fairly unique. I'm a theatrical lighting technician who works in a retail store. I've been with the company for 7 1/2 years. I've got full benefits, vacation and a 401k, and I work a 40 hour week every week. All of this is quite unusual for a theatrical technician, especially without being in the union. It's somewhat surreal.

This morning, it was announced that the theater will be closing in the fall. So, after 8 years in the same position, I'll be moving on. This is something I've been thinking and talking about for some time, but not had the motivation or the nerve to actually take that step. Now I've got the kick in the ass I need to get moving. It's going to be rough to make this transition, but I think, in the end, it's for the best. It's time to take the next step.

I've got a lot to learn about job hunting, and I've got a lot to decide about what I want to do with my life from this point on. A fourth of my life has been spent in this job, so leaving isn't easy, but at the same time, it's time to expand my horizons and, as they say... "take these broken wings and learn to fly again.

Yeah... I went there.

Know anyone who's going to need a lighting tech this fall?

Sunday was Katie's last day at work. While I was sad to see Jackie go 2 weeks ago, Katie's leaving is rough.

Katie started only a few weeks after I did in 2000. In those 6 1/2 years, she has become one of the people I'm closest to at work. Just showing up was easier, knowing she'd be there. She borrowed books from me, cat-sat for us, made me laugh, made me cry and made me laugh again. The place I work this week is not the same place I worked last week.

All of the sadness, is just for me however. Katie's moving on, and moving up. I envy her for that. She's pursuing her dream, and she's taking a huge step to do so. So, while I'll miss her at work, I'm proud of her. I'm proud that she's braver than I am, and that I can count her among my close friends.

It's been said that everyone rises to their own level of incompetence. You may ask "what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Well, basically... as long as you can actually do your job, you keep getting promoted. Once you get promoted into a job you can't do, you stop getting promoted. So there you are sitting in a job you can't do, and no one will move you back down to the job you could do, because that would mean those who are higher up than you would have to admit that they were wrong. and we can't have that, now can we.
Now... to an extent this is true... with the exception of the fact that all of those people above you are probably incompetent for their jobs too, so they probably don't recognize the difference between ability and incompetence. So the structure becomes more and more top heavy with incompetents. And that's why life's a bitch. Whatever... I guess that's why hard work has to be it's own reward, because God knows... that's about the only reward you're getting.