It Finally Happened

I have been fearful that someday I would finally be forced to speak with my ex-boss - the one whose company I recently left on a negative note. Well, it finally happened. He called me today. It happened in the course of a normal workday - when I left his company back in December, I returned to a job that still had dealings with him. It was an awkward situation for me. I had hoped that I would never have to speak to him again. I had hoped that my supervisor would cover for me.

It didn't work out that way.

After the initial shock of hearing his voice, I composed myself and was able to converse with him normally. It finally happened, and I guess I am relieved that I no longer need to fear that first encounter. He had the gall to ask me if I 'got what I wanted' in my new job. I don't really remember what I told him. I think I said something rather lame, like, "It's a job."

I do remember that I forgot to tell him that I got a $15K pay increase over what he had paid me, plus benefits that he never offered. Sure, I loved the work that I was doing for him, but was it worth the aggravation and misery? Surely it was not.

Am I happy in what I am doing now? Well - the work that I do is rewarding. But I can no longer work from home in my precious silence. I have a co-worker who thinks out loud and constantly disturbs me in what I do. The building that I work in is 'condemned' and they can't seem to regulate the temperature or air quality. I have other co-workers who don't have enough to do, who come into my office for prolonged discussions about anything and everything that is not related to my work.

On the plus side, I have a chapel right across the street from my workplace. I can walk over there any time I feel the need. I can offer up my workplace irritations as small crosses that I have been given to bear.

And I still have interactions with some of my former co-workers. They still bring sunshine to my darkest days.

Did I 'get what I wanted' in my new job? I don't know. I don't know what I wanted except knowing that I didn't want to work for that person ever again. Yes - I guess I got what I wanted. I got it at a price, but I got what I wanted. Do we ever get anything for free in this life? Doesn't everything always have a price tag on it?