jobs

I loved going to college. I loved it so much that I changed my major most every quarter. I really had no idea what I wanted to do, so I got excited about every new class. I knew for sure that I didn't want to be in the Navy anymore, but that was it. I always had a job while I was going to school because I had to pay for it somehow. I had an incentive grant and student loans, but that was about it. College was not nearly as expensive then as it is now, but still the bills piled up.
I worked cleaning pools, I worked as a houseparent at a group home and I installed chain link fence, but I really didn't love any of this. Until my roommate helped me get a job working with him at an architectural millwork shop I was adrift. The owner would allow me to work around my class schedule and it wasn't long before I lived to work with wood. We made everything from cabinets to windows, molding and doors. Every day was a new day, and I was in love.
It wasn't long before wood replaced books and all I dreamed of was having my own shop. I worked at this shop for a few years, another for a couple, and I was ready to hang out my own shingle. I built a shop in my backyard and built cabinets, from word of mouth alone, for 15 years. The business was good to me and I managed to buy land and build a house twice. Working at home allowed me to spend alot of time on each home, so when it came time to sell I had no problem. The homes were full of woodwork and somewhat unusual.
We decided to enlist the services of a real estate agent when we sold the first one, but being from a small town where everybody knows everybody, we had a hard time deciding which agent to use. I finally told PJ to pick one and she did. Well, that didn't sit right with a few agents that were not chosen. They called me and complained and one went so far as to tell me to take it off the market, wait a few weeks, and list it with him. All I wanted to do was sell my house! I blamed the decision on my wife (one of the benefits of marriage) not being from here and how "she was handling everything" and it kind of blew over. Still we dealt with the almost daily bickering and rude comments agents made about each other. They all seemed to hate each other!
Well the house sold and we started over again. Built another house and shop and got back to work. I was beginning to tire somewhat with woodwork and looked into going back to school. It seemed expensive and complicated, especially since there were three of us now, and I got discouraged. A friend of mine that owned a real estate company suggested that I get my license and come to work with him. He said I could do it part time and continue my woodwork as well. Sounds like low risk fun and I might even make some money!
Well when PJ got home from work and I sprung the idea on her....Let's just say she was not instantly enthused. "That is a terrible business. Don't you remember how mean those agents were to each other when we sold our last house? Do you want to be like that?" Was the gist of her response with the obscenities ommited. "You are too nice and will get eaten up in that business".
She was probably right, as usual. I really wanted a change though and this sounded like a quick way. I thought about it for a few days then I told her that when I began to act like those other agents I would quit. I didn't run my cabinet business that way, and I wouldn't sell real estate that way either. "You let me know when I get like that" made it sound even more official.
The next seven years have been somewhat of a blur. While I was halfway through the real estate course my brother died. I couldn't study or work for awhile and eventually had to start the course over. In spite of my grief I managed to finish the course, get a license and sign on with a real estate company. I locked up my cabinet shop and never looked back. After almost 20 years of wood, I was done.
I enjoyed the real estate business. It seemed at first that we were just talking about work instead of actually doing it. I didn't get dirty and I was never tired. I felt like I was doing a service, people wanted to buy a house and I had the keys! But somewhere along the way things changed. I was not as happy as before. I was beginning to act like the agents that apalled me ten years earlier. I was turning in to one of them. I don't know what my future holds now, but I do know that I will keep the promise I made to myself and my wife years ago and point this ship in another direction.