Covid Chaos Chronicles, Story 2

It had been quite a long year, starting with the loss of what i had considered my dream job and ending with the betrayal of a close friend over a silly argument gone wrong. I guess the constant second guessing of my decisions didn't help the situation but who doesn't go over things constantly in their head and create our own self inflicted drama. That being said I just decided it was time for a new start and I had been talking for years about trying it so why not now.

I tossed some stuff in my beat up old Volkswagen van and hit the road for the west coast, I thought that was the place my talent would be recognized and I could make a difference in the world on some level. I had put away some cash over the last few years which would hold me over for a couple months and I could take some time driving out as a little breather before I really dove into the job search, I started to work on my resume and decided to leave out a few facts such as why the Landsdowne Osgood Liability Association had terminated my employment recently. After a few drafts and some tweaking I was quite happy with the results.

I started on my drive out west. Immediately I began to reflect on the argument with my best friend Joe, we’ve known each other forever. We’ve had arguments before, but nothing like this. He was right, I just wasn’t listening and taking what he said seriously. I mean, we both changed a bit over the years. Joe is blue collar and adventurous and never minced words. I’m more reserved and liked to mull things over before making a rush decision. It’s totally uncharacteristic of me just to pack up and leave like this, but it just feels like the right thing to do. I’m really bummed that I lost my job, it never occurred to me I would be fired over something like that. Landsdowne Osgood Liability Association was a great place to work. Not what I would call a large company, but my colleagues are like family to me. I spotted some deer as I crossed the gap.

My mind started to wander as I entered Pennsylvania. I had made this drive before, and I remember how this godawful state never seemed to end. More deer, I would have to stay on my toes as these rascals tended to dart into the road. “SIR, are you OK?” “SIR, are you OK?” What the heck was happening? I looked out the window and an upside-down pencil necked Ranger Rick was yelling at me. Why was he upside-down? The glare of flashing lights was annoying. There was a strong smell of radiator fluid. My head seemed to be soaked in radiator fluid. Again, what the hell was going on? As my head started to clear, it occurred to me that Ranger Rick, and everything else around me wasn’t upside down, I was! “Just keep still sir, the Fire Department is here to extricate you”, bellowed Ranger Rick. Holy crap! Had I fallen asleep at the wheel? Why was I covered in warm radiator fluid? “My name is Lt. Raymond Davies, call me Ray”, said the Ranger, clearly not a Ranger, but a Pennsylvania State Trooper. “You have a serious head injury, a medivac helicopter is on the way to take you to Lehigh Valley Hospital”, A head injury? So, it’s not radiator fluid, it was blood! My blood! I started thinking about how much I wished Joe was here. That was my last thought before I slipped into unconsciousness.

“What a ride!” Joe exclaims with that ear-to-ear grin. We had just completed 20 miles of mountain bike riding in Alameda. Twenty miles of glorious single track, bright sunshine, cool temps, beer and your best friend. Seriously, who would want anything more I thought. Life may have changed some, yet some parts of life don’t change. Like that smile of Joe’s.

Joe and I have been taking this guy’s weekend for well over 20 years, and I wouldn’t miss it for the world. This time was different though. Joe and his wife just bought an RV and decided to travel this great Country. Destinations unknown and timetables non-existent. While I was super excited for their travels, I was a little envious of the fact that my life all of a sudden felt strapped to a job. Don’t get me wrong, I like what I do, I like the people I work with it. The new upper management and their new regime views of how the company should operate, which was always employee conscious, has become problematic. In fact, it was akin to herding cats and I found myself head wrangler.

Don’t get me wrong, I was excited that I got the new position after Joe had retired and that I was next in line, however, I didn’t realize that it was going to be this challenging. That the company was going to be totally different than it was before because of all the changes. We all had been there for years and years and we loved it. We were able to work in many different positions, become life long friends with many co-workers and get promotions to better our financial situations. I figured I would take on this new role, serve out my time and come up with a retirement plan myself. What I didn’t know is that my time would be up so quickly, that everything would change so fast and that my world would be turned upside down, sideways and backwards. Now, it wasn’t just a retirement plan I needed, it was a plan of survival. I didn’t know when to tell Joe and we were having such a great time on the mountain bike trip that I felt bad when I brought it up and that’s when Joe’s smile turned into a frown.

Joe, I said… Sorry my friend... I didn't mean to put a damper on things by voicing my opinion. But things have just changed way too much at work and not all for the better. Now things have become all about the numbers. Forget about quality... that's long gone down the drain my friend. I wanted to tell you sooner than this, but held out, hoping everything would all shake itself out in the end and have a happy ending for all involved.

Joe, I don't know whether you know it or not… I didn't want to be the one to break the news to you. But, Ted is retiring early, due to all the pressure and politics that have come into play at the company since all the changes occurred. Without Ted at the helm of our South Division, it leaves a gaping hole in our production line. He was the only one down there that we could depend on to motivate the troops into putting their noses to the grindstone and getting the contracts done on time. And usually well within budget too! Surprisingly, Joe's frown straightened out and he confessed to me, that he too was unhappy with all that had transpired since he had been gone on sabbatical. Joe said, I'm sorry my friend… I had hoped things would not have turned out that way once I stepped back to enjoy the fruits of my labor, after all these long years of hard work. The board of trustees has overridden my golden rules... Be kind, be careful, be yourself and take the company in a whole new direction… Obviously not for the better. They told me, Joe, it has to be done to stay competitive in the market! I said but at what cost to my employees… the daily stress will cause casualties mentally and physically.

What Joe said was true. There had been way too many accidents on the line, trying to keep up with the new demands placed upon us. I for one had grown weary of it all and dreamed of early retirement in Idaho, or someplace like that out West. If only I could make that happen sooner than later. Way sooner than later. If only I didn't have to wait a few more years to qualify for my pension due to Union rules. I'd be gone… Long gone! Sigh…

As Joe walked away shaking his head I realized there was little either of us was going to be able to do to correct this situation. The trustees in the front office had made up their minds and spent too much time and money gearing up the factory to turn back now. The new equipment that the company brought in was imposing and no one had been trained on how to use it safely. This place was going to fail as more people left or got hurt trying to learn a bunch of new skills without any training. Middle management would be blamed and I'd be one of the sacrificial lambs. If I got fired it would ruin my pension.

Later that night while sitting in the living room contemplating my fate I started to think of a way out. Could I come up with a way to retire early, live off my meager savings until I was able to collect my pension. I can't stay here, property taxes alone will dry up my savings before the pension will kick in. I have to find a cheap alternative. A plan started to form in my head. What if I sell the house, pay off the remaining mortgage and move somewhere American dollars go further. I can live cheaply, at least until my pension kicks in. Idaho will have to wait a few years. I could get in touch with my old friend down in Costa Rica and head down there. We had some interesting times back in the day. Some of those adventures were a bit over the edge and exciting. Maybe it's time to shake things up a bit. The only question is, do I tell Joe my plans? Should I see if he wants to join in on my new adventure?

Costa Rica sounds an interesting idea hhmmm… I always wanted to check the jungle there, heard it is beautiful and there are there some of the most unique animals and plants to see, just thinking about it made me smile. As for Idaho, after reading it lately “finished an awful No. 50 state in the scariest category: “Prevention & Containment of Covid 19”, a “new study finds Idaho is the No. 10 worst state for people planning to retire early”, it is quite boring year round and even read “it is a bottom-10 state for personal freedom”, I decided that is definitely the wrong place to be in by choice, unless you are a potato... haha.

While thinking about the different options I suddenly heard a voice “it might sound as a cliché but it is true, happiness is a Decision… from within. It has nothing to do with where you are and what you do, try gratitude as an approach”. Ha? I rose my head, thinking I am starting to hear voices in my head, it was Joe. “Yes I know, you are right” I replied. At that moment I felt inspired and decided that instead of shrinking I am going to grow! If I do something I like, I’ll gladly do it all day long, it will not be work but a rewarding activity I want to do. Later I realized that all the fiasco at work actually pushed me forward, maybe I should write a thank you letter to my ex-boss... I finally started, here in my hometown, a project that was in my mind for years and now it is all coming together. Soon I had a whole team of wonderful dedicated people by me. Paying taxes and other bills was not an issue anymore, we were creating our own life and helping our community at the same time.

So I forgot about Costa Rica, Idaho, etc. All pipe dreams anyway, and really silly ones at that. I never could get the hang of Spanish, and I certainly would be bored in Idaho. Idaho? What was I thinking? And let’s face it, a new location doesn’t guarantee a better life. A new location usually means you are running away from something… or someone. Plus, I like my neighborhood. It’s home. I know all the shops, the streets, the parks, the people. Now I am flourishing, surrounded by great people, enthused about my job, enjoying my life once again. And at peace. It’s true what they say about happiness. Sometimes everything you need to be content and happy in life is right in front of you all along. You just need to relax and notice it. As Lincoln said, “Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

I was startled by a loud noise just above my head and opened my eyes just in time to see a chipmunk shoot off the roof of my van and scurry into a pile of leaves. Where was I and what the heck is going on? Before I stopped to try and answer those questions I grabbed a notebook off the passenger seat and started to scribble down notes about all the things that were running through my mind which just moments ago seemed as large as life and as concrete as reality itself. I knew they would slip out of my mind if I didn't get them on paper right away and they could be turned into a great story, maybe even a couple great stories once I had some time to work them through. I always thought one day I might write something worthy of being published although I had other things to accomplish first.

Once I was sure I had it all down I turned my attention to the present moment, I recalled seeing the deer pop out on the side of the road and decided to take a brief nap at the next rest area which according to my watch was about 3-1/2 hours ago already. I had an hour or so of daylight left to find a cheap meal and a decent hotel for the night so I turned the key and click, the van wouldn't turn over. Luckily it was a stick shift and I had parked on a slight hill, it wasn't the first time I had to let it roll and pop the clutch to start it so off I went. As the engine coughed and sprang to life all I could do was smile and think to myself what a grand adventure I was starting, in a couple years I hoped to be in a successful new career somewhere in southern California. What's a girl to do?