I’m not really sure when our wild ride began. Perhaps it was in the whispered possibility that Dave’s office might be in for a reorganization, but it might have been earlier than that. Whenever the approach began, the send off from the gate came one morning during the first week in August when Dave called me to let me know that he’d received something called a “30 day lack of work notice” which meant that his current position was being eliminated and he had 30 days to find another position within the company to avoid termination.
To say this was unsettling would be an understatement. For the past thirty-seven years we have operated under the fiscal security of first Dave’s monthly military paycheck followed by his post Naval career in support of military intelligence programs. I know how lucky we’ve been and I’m really not complaining about our situation as much as setting a scene.
The next thing that happened was our famous “bear attack” to the bird feeders in the back yard. Again, this is not something truly out of the ordinary for people living where we do, it’s just that after seven years, we just didn’t expect it. And now, because it has happened once, the reality that it could happen again seems more of a reality and we’ve had to rethink how we feed our feathered friends.
About a week later our upstairs heat pump stopped working. I’m not sure how long it was down because we had a string of temperate days when we had the windows open but that first night we shut things up and relied on cool air being shot from the ceiling vents and received no relief, we knew something was wrong. Fortunately we have a service contract with a local HVAC company so the repair guys were here before lunch time the next day and the repair was not too dear.
It was about that time that we began to notice that Izzie wasn’t eating as much as usual and her ribs were beginning to stick out. We tried to entice her with a variety of yummy cat food flavors and for a while she seemed to eat more and perk up, but eventually it became clear that the disease attacking her kidneys had become more aggressive and well, you know the rest of that story….
All through this time, Dave continued to get up each morning and drive back into the office, even though he didn’t really have a job, and cast his nets far in wide in hopes of landing a position in the company. The days flew by until his expiration date arrived and following a warm and cordial after hours going away party at a local hang out, hugs, handshakes and pats on the back, his status changed from Senior Associate to unemployed.
Please don’t shed any tears for us. We are blessed with the resources to retire if we choose. We just don’t feel like we’re there yet. So we are both looking for jobs, which for me is a scary proposition. While I’ve stayed very busy with my volunteer activities these past seven years, I have not held a paid position. We’ll see how that goes.
All of these things have in one way or another impacted our lives. Even an event as natural as a wild animal tearing up bird feeders in the backyard can be unsettling and now will make me think twice about going out there after dark.
Dave’s change of employment status for the time being has caused us to reevaluate so many aspects of our lives; where we want to live, if we want to work; in essence what we want to do with the rest of our lives. And loosing Izzie, a relatively young kitty, has reminded us of just how fragile life is and how each day is precious and should be lived to the fullest.
A day like today is especially good for remembering, taking stock and discerning the important things in life and gaining some perspective. Seventeen years ago today we were all shaken by the attacks to the Pentagon and Twin Towers. Our security was rattled as the realization sunk in that bad things like terrorist attacks can and will happen when we least expect it. But despite the disbelief, sorrow and horror of that day, we as a country have not merely survived, we have triumphed.
And so it will be with Dave and me. My guess is that six months from now we will look back at the events of this summer and have a notion of how they have all been pieces perfectly designed to fit into the big picture puzzle of our lives. Change is unsettling, but not necessarily a bad thing.
Mon, I’m sorry to hear about Dave’s job, but I know that you know everything happens for a reason. All will be revealed in God’s time. Sorry to hear about Izzy as well. I will keep you lifted in prayer and ask that you do the same for us as we have hit a rough patch trying to maintain two properties/mortgages. Our VA tenants abruptly moved out end of April, left the place in shambles. We finally just got it listed and praying for a good tenant to take occupancy quickly. This is Natalie’s senior year so you know the expenses associated with that epic year! Yet with all this we are still so blessed. I try to stay focused on that fact, we have so much to be grateful for. Sending hugs and love from the Johnson’s.