Just saying hello

Hi Ray!

Joe in a Cleveland suburb

>I went from loving what I do, to..... well pretty much hating what I do in a matter of 3 months. I still love drafting but things have changed quite a bit at my place of employement in the last 3 months.

New bosses, new rules.......

Sounds like it's time to move on (said without knowing the circumstances of course...). Who knows. Maybe it'll all change. Things seem to always get better eventually.

Hang in there.

Joe

p.s. I hate what I do too.

Re: Just saying hello

Stephen Kirk in Quakertown, PA

>Sorry to hear it Ray. I hear it a lot, and I've been there myself. I left a bad job without another one lined up, just because the stress was really bad for me. I got another job within a few months, so it's possible (but I'd advise lining up another job first).

Can't say as I love my job right now, but it pays the bills without driving me too crazy. If you feeling really down, get back in the shop and make some sawdust. It works for me. I think there is something therapeutic and the smell of wood, how it feels, the way it works up. I always seem to feel better after getting something done.

Re: Just saying hello

Larry Clinton At Frankfort (Central)., Indiana

>Hi Ray, sorry to hear about the changes at the sweat shop. You may want to hang in there for awhile. I went through several incidents like you describe where I used to work (retired now). Fortunately in my case the changes, and the people that caused them, turned out to be temporary. It's a real pleasure to see people that cause this kind of turmoil get fired. The plant where I worked as an Engineer went from a employment high of 1200 + people in the late 60's to about 120 in about 2 years. Then built back up to over 600. In the last 5 years they have dropped again to the 200's. I'm afraid this is permanent, or at least until they close the plant. The major business has been moved to either Mexico or now China. No new products have been brought in for at least 3 years nor are any likely with the labor cost in China of $17 ~ $.25 /hr. You may want to touch bases with your friends and business associates though, never know when the dream job may be opening. I wish you luck - remember if you and your family are healthy, the job is just that. Keep it in perspective. I have often said I would rather my family be healthy than to hit the lottery for 50 million. If I had a child or grandchild ill, and hit the 50 mil, I would be very happy if I could spend it all to cure them. So I figure with them healthy, I should be just as happy as if I hit the lottery!

Re: Just saying hello

Paul D. May

>Hi Ray!

I can appreciate your situation. I, too have been away from the WW community for a while because of a less than satisfying work situation. I got back into my music which has been a great stress breaker for me. Unfortunately I can't do both at the same time!! In the past few years I have really come to appreciate the fact that my job isn't about me anymore. I work to help support my family. What was once a satisfying, enjoyable career is now just a job. My after work activities are all I think of now. Work is way zero-fun! It is kind of sad when all I can think of is how many years do I have left before I retire. I resist doing that since I don't want to wish my life away!!!

If you still like what you are doing but the boss is an irritant, there are ways to cope. It is not a shame to seek counciling (as you have done). Think rationally and don't react negatively. Years in a company are a hard thing to give up, especially if there is a pension or 401K to think about.

Hang in there!!

Paul

Re: Just saying hello

James Dillon in MD

>Ray,

Good to hear from you again. You are obviously a much faster learner than I was, before I retired. Took me 32 years of doing what I loved before the "system" won and I decided to call it quits while I still had my health and sanity. Can't add much to the good advice you've gotten, except to take a deep breath, look at the beauty of the world around you (outside work), keep things in perspective, and never be hesitate to start over. Thanks for keeping in touch!!

Jim

Re: Just saying hello

Ray Binnicker

>Hey Ray,

Been there, Done that ! I became the manager of a fairly large supermarket back in the 70's. Worked 75 to 100 hrs a week for 10 years trying to please dominate, un-pleasable supervisors. I missed out on a lot of my daughters early years by working day and night. Long story/short story, I quit. Felt good as hell when I did it; but a week later I was scared to death. Here 25 years later I am retired from civil service and a job I can honestly say was the absolute best job I could have had.

I don't know your whole situation, but I do know hating to get up in the morning to go to work is a miserable way to live. Without you even knowing it can affect your family in bad ways.

I'm sure you'll do the right thing

My 2 cents.

You are not alone!

Thomas Skaggs, Foothills of Mount Level

>Ray,

Sorry to hear the heartache continues. If it helps, just know that I am sure you have company here at WC. I certainly know the feeling as my boss's door has become a revolving one and each new boss seems to get worse and worse.

Thank goodness for the blessing of woodworking. It's good therapy when the turkeys are getting us down! I hope things improve in a hurry. Don't make any hasty decisions. Hang in there and hopefully a better path will present itself.

Tom

Re: Just saying hello

Jesse in New Mexico

>Hey Ray,

I hear you, been there several times. My strategy was to jump. Never regretted it. Took my time to find a good new job first, then left the old job with no bridges burned.

Live is just too darned short to let some jerk manager rent space in your head.

Of course, you have to take this with a grain of salt, just offering my experience, your mileage may vary, but don't give up!!

Re: You are not alone! Thanks everyone.

Ray Carson, New Jersey

>Hello Tommy,

I know I mentioned this to you shortly after the WC Secret Santa was over. We all know that you would be happier doing something else. :-)

I discussed the problems with my two current bosses. The one that is staying doesn't really see my point of view and the one that's leaving is in agreement with me. It's a no win situation.

It's gone on for so long now that in my mind I just don't have the fire and enthusiasm I once had. My one boss will be retiring and his replacement is someone I can see myself bucking heads with in the future.

Family and counseling has told me the same things you all are saying, keep it in perspective, remember what's important in life, hang in there.....I know in my heart it's a good job but I also know and have come to realize that staying here until retirement (another 25 years) is probably not going to happen.

I appreciate the kind and helpful words from everyone and hopefully getting back to the things I do love, my wife, my kids, woodworking....will see me through.

Ray

Re: Just saying hello

George@Colonel's Workshop-Havertown PA

>Good Morning Ray,

It was good to see your name again. I wondered what you were doing and when you'd be back. Remember you share frustrations with everyone else. You are with the multitudes, even though you feel very much alone. Give it time. Whatever you do or don't do will eventually work out. In the meantime: Ne Illigitimus Carborundum. That's Latin for "Don't Let the Bastards Grind You Down".

George

Re: Can I steal that

Guy Kroll

>George, can I steal that saying for a T-Shirt???

GUy

Re: Just saying hello

Rob Sandow

>Hey Ray. Hear you man. It could be worse. My former manager decided I was redundant last summer, so I left my former job, one that I really liked, around the end of October. I just recently landed something new that looks very promising, so things are looking up. My advice, if you think things at work are starting to look ugly, then you should start looking for something new right away, so you have options and can leave on your terms if you want to.

Rob

Re: Just saying hello

Fred West in West Chester, PA

>Hey Ray, welcome back. I too was away from the board for quite a while and it has greatly lifted my spirits to be back on it. I hope that it too helps you and best of luck with everything. Fred

Sure Gary,

George@Colonel's Workshop-Havertown PA

>Good Mormning Gary

When stationed in St Louis, I was involved in a very frustrating and tedious exercise which put me on the receiving end and at the bottom of the pecking order. It was the worst experience in my Air Force career, and lasted for months. During that time a friend of mine who happened to be a Jesuit priest was our dinner guest, and I gave him a short summery of what was happening at work. His response was encouraging, and served me well during other tough situations in the years ahead. "Ne Illigitimus Carborundum" It would look good on a T-Shirt.

George

I Mean Guy--Sorry

George@Colonel's Workshop-Havertown PA

>