I left my job today.
Venturing out of a life of security, stepping into a decision of faith.
It's funny; the last couple days have been a whirlwind of people's shock, tying up loose ends for my replacement, and an overflowing out pour of what I probably least expected: love.
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I never in a million years would have thought that I would end up working in a manufacturing plant.
My military career was pretty much spent outdoors in the maintenance world, and I guess that's the way my mind was geared.
On top of that, years of hearing stories of my mother-in-law's experience working in an Ohio factory made me cringe at the possibility of that line of work.
So when God threw the opportunity at me, I stepped up to the plate, and took a swing. My excitement of being in the game distracted me enough, that it was my first day at work before I realized that here I was, somewhere I never thought I'd be. I found myself back in maintenance to my (surprising) delight, surrounded by the people I am most familiar with. The hardworking, knuckle- and ball-busting people who are usually the least appreciated, but so very crucial to the very operation and success of the organization they belong to. The mushrooms - kept in the dark, and fed crap, yet still grow and thrive. Their positions demand innovation, as they are the ones who have to do more with less, as the business culture of today expects this without words.
Theirs is a world I am painfully aware of, from the inside.
It was that moment that I decided that I'd be who I am really am there. Happy. Positive. Corny-funny. Optimistic. Someone who offers a different perspective. I wanted to be a source of joy, a person who exuded peace, & an inkling of hope in a place that I had mistaken for a dirty, monotonous place. I wanted to take my familiarity with their world, and inject my skills, strengths, personality and perspective into my job, hopefully, naively wanting to make their jobs easier / better, as my position was one of vision and planning.
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I am quickly reminded of why I took the job in the first place... the people.
I love people.
I love being around people.
Experiences, stories, & perspectives of everyone around me is what delights me.
I love seeing how relationships and friendships develop and grow when the perspective of myself being the center of my universe is removed.
One of the things that's so important to me is encouraging people, to let them know their value. Even as I write this, I realize how many times I failed; how many opportunities I missed.
There's so many people I would pass by daily, who's names I never learned, who's smiles I'll never forget. They are etched on my heart forever.
The people I worked with made this job an amazing experience. Caring people. Humble people. Grace-full people. Selfless people. Hardworking people. Faithful people. Hilarious people. Dedicated people. Frustrated people.
Amazing people.
Working with various people throughout the plant, learning people's strengths, their humility in admitting their weaknesses, hearing their ideas, seeing their seemingly un-reciprocated devotion, I can see how I've been surrounded by a large group of people who's potential remains unknown, and therefore untapped.
If the worth of a company was measured solely by the people who worked at that company, that company would be world-renowned, and people from all over the world would be fighting to get in the doors.
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The people I was lucky enough to work with every day - my life is richer now because of them. Friendships that will stand the test of time have been forged in that place, and for that reason, every one of the bad days, and every bit of the frustration was worth it.
Selfishly, I'll admit, my goal was to work there, and in the meantime, affect someone's life.
It turns out, they have all affected mine.
