Swimming in a Sea of Change
Stephanie and I both knew that 2010 would be a defining year for us both. Our marriage in September was to be the crowning event of a year that would see me reach my milestone 30th birthday, and more importantly, the year England finally won the world cup! However, life has a funny habit of throwing the unexpected and providing you with challenges you were not ready to face.
Last week, Stephanie and I both handed our notices into our respective employers informing them of our decisions to seek employment elsewhere. Whilst both had different motives for our job changes the timings of which were more coincidental than planned. In fact, we have joked since that we must be the first couple in history to hand notices in on the same day and not have won the lottery!
Stephanie had heard of a position within the foster agency my Mum and Dad are working for and applied for the role more out of hope and curiosity than wanton desire. Working for Sainsbury’s for twelve years had dampened her confidence that she would ever find a job suited to her personality and early career goals.
But offered the job she was, and with it a reduction in hours and more importantly from a family perspective the dramatic removal of her Saturday shifts. Far from rejoicing at the fact that I can now return to footballing arenas around the country every Saturday, reality dictates the opposite! Some weekend work may be required, the nature of her new role, but ultimately, weekends can be spent together as a family, from the mundane shopping/cleaning tasks to days out, which were previously missed out on by all, or Oliver and I would go without her. Those days, as a family are crucial and will cement the bond between us as September approaches.
My own decision was based upon the changes made within the agency I work for – politics and restructure meaning potentially the work I am paid to do drying up and evidence so far this year to date proved more conclusively that I needed to look before I was forced to.
Working for a new agency, part of a bigger team, a different set of clients will motivate me further to continue growing, being a better developer, understanding the digital marketplace as well as the technology that continues to drive it. Amazing challenges lie in store and I’m looking forward to the days ahead. It sounds cliché but I’m itching to get started!
I owe the people I currently work with a lot, they gave me my first big opportunity and I will always remember that. Nothing stays the same, it shouldn’t, it simply doesn’t but there have been four great years and I feel blessed to have worked with such creative, intelligent, insightful people. We will keep in touch, of that I’m sure.
If we were given the choice, it wouldn’t have been a sensible decision to create such upheaval for both of us, so close together on the year in which we are due to start afresh as Mr and Mrs. But we play the hands that we are given and exciting times await for both of us. We will continue to work hard, enjoy the family time together, even more so now and look forwards and onwards. Certainly there are things that we have both learnt from this; never plan too far ahead, never get complacent and always, always expect the unexpected!
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