I Need a Change

I'm not sure exactly, but I think it's mostly my job. I need something else.

I say I'm not sure because I really haven't put my finger on the source of my discontent. Maybe it's not my job--Maybe I need to move... I don't know. It's just that lately I feel like everything is wrong somehow. Nothing seems to be clicking. I've pointed an angry finger on more than one occasion recently at all three of my vehicles, like they're letting me down.

What if I'm just letting myself down?

When it comes to my job, I have to suffer the slings and arrows of my lack of education. I made my bed, now I have to lie in it. I'm not one of those rapid-fire job changers that has a resume' that's multiple pages long--I like to stick with a job. I like the feeling of loyalty to an employer. When you are just a basic "jack of all trades" as I am, you will never earn a lot of money unless you do stick with an employer through thick and thin.

Unless you work at Boeing.

I have to admit, I was online looking at their jobs last night. They have a lot of openings and I could easily get hired on there. Do I really want to? I hate the unknowns that come with working for Boeing. How long will your job last is the big one. Will your job move you to another area to work at some point down the road? If I didn't like it much back then, why would now be any different?

Because Boeing gives you vacation time off and sick days, that's why. And regular raises and good insurance and lots of other bennies.

I think what's really bugging me lately though about my job is the lack of time off. I'm not talking the opposite of overtime--I work the usual 8 hour days and get my weekends off. I'm talking about vacation time. I have worked there for well over 5 years and still only have one week of vacation. You know what you want to do when you have only one week of vacation? You want to put it under a glass case or mount it on a plaque on the wall. In other words--Not use it. It's just not enough to be flexible with. One teeny little vacation wipes you out for an entire year. Your friends might go on a Harley event someplace, but you can't go because your vacation is in "in case of emergency, break glass" storage area. You are afraid to waste it, and that just makes it eat at you all the more.

My supervisor said to me once that at La Croix Industries vacation is a "negotiated" thing. Being a merit shop, nobody gets things automatically--They have to earn them. You know what? I shouldn't have to negotiate vacation. I haven't missed an unscheduled day of work since I've been there, and the 2 or 3 times I've been late for work in 5 ½ years have all been no more than one or two minutes.

I'm just disgruntled. Maybe it's my job--Maybe not. All I know is, I need a change. I wish someone could tell me what it is...