Playing "office" when I was a kid was always my favorite pastime. When my friends were excited about sports equipment, toys and games, I was always happiest with a fresh batch of office supplies. I liked forms and checklists, pens and binder clips. I was always a CEO or a President and I always had a deadline to meet.
One of my favorite photos of my dad showed him (vintage 1963) wearing a dark suit and tie, sitting at a desk, documents in hand and a cigar, perfectly positioned, between his index and middle fingers. I suppose that photo planted itself deep within my psyche. I remember wondering what was on his mind when it was taken. Although my father was clearly a bright businessman, only rarely did I see him wear a suit.
I believe my attraction to the running man logo that I use is a tribute of sorts. I sort of grin and see my dad in him somehow. I am a rather "old soul" and believe that I was probably born ten years too late to really fit into the world I ended up in.
I ultimately ended up working in a corporate structure and in middle-management where I worked for 25 years. During that time, I put alot of money into other people's pockets. I made a decent living. But, I worked long hours and sacrificed my young adulthood in doing so.
I began to feel bitter.
I had spent so much of my energy on corporate loyalty that I didn't really know what my business identity was. The fact is, I was in a rut. I was an "employee" and I wasn't getting anywhere or improving my life or that of my children. I became one of those disgruntled workers you hear so much about. My entrepreneurial spirit needed to be set free.
What I needed was a way out. A way to transition to being self employed...
I positioned myself to withdraw from my middle-manager job and return to school. I figured that if I jumped into the college experience I had never had and if I tried hard to focus on what I loved, how could I go wrong?
After three semesters of 4.0 gpa school, I quite literally "fell" into the Notary Signing Agentfield. An acquaintance had suggested I try it, as it had flexible hours, decent money and would not interfere with my schoolwork. "Sounds good" I thought. It also allowed me to not feel like such a drain on my hard-working wife who supported me in every way.
I soon was booking 2 and then 3 signing appointments a day. When I got my first "C" grade on an exam, I decided that one or the other should scale back. At that point, I was making more than my corporate job had paid-even in my best year with them. Could it be that I had found what I was looking for? Well, I was self-employed, making good if not great money and for once, I could see myself doing this job as a career. After all, it combined my love of people with my love of driving and took all the good parts of the jobs I had done and combined them with self-employment, better money and the joy of having ultimate power.
I remember that day I decided to pursue that dream full-time and allow my schooling to be set upon the shelf...at least, for now. That is the day I was born in terms of career. For most of my dad's life he was self-employed and made his own way. He kept us all fed, warm, safe, and dry. I think I'm beginning to understand what that smile was that was on his face. It was the smile of a contented man. One who had made his own way in life and lived to tell the tale. My dad is not a rich man by today's standards. But he works hard to this day, he is ethical and forthright and helps me to believe that being happy with one's work is all one really needs.
As for me, I'm happy to continue doing what I love!
"A Quick Note"
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