Monday, December 19, 2005

 

What the Hell Do I Do Now?

I've been spending all day moving my crap into a trailer. I'm out of my apartment at the end of this month, my folks bought a trailer a while back and I'm moving into it. I hurt my back somehow on the first load of stuff and am in agony right now. Since the good folks at Echostar Communications were good enough to finally reimburse me for expenses incured during my interview last month, I finally have some money in my pocket and braved the wilds of Wal-Mart to do a little Christmas shopping before heading home.

There were two messages on my machine when I finally got home. The first was from the old roomie, he has a fun graphic project for me. I'd tell you what it is, but you probably wouldn't believe me if I told you. Should be fun, though, and I'm looking forward to giving it a whirl.

The second call was from Echostar Communications asking me to call back. Now I had learned from the old roomie that the HR person handling my potential hiring was replaced by someone else, which, considering the treatment I've received up to this point, is absolutely fine with me. The message was to call the new person, which I did. The new person wasn't in, but the call was about them offering me a position with their company.

So here I sit, a company that has treated me completely like crap before I've actually done any work for them now wants to pay me. The cynic in me says that if they treated me the way they did when they were trying to get me to work for them, it'll be even worse after they start paying me.

On top of it all, the start date they quoted me is 3 January, but there is an incentive if I start before the first of the year. Now I look at this as just one more way that they're mistreating me. This job would involve a move. Contemplating a move in the middle of my current move is a little mind boggling. Starting before the first of the year would mean starting sometime between Christmas and New Year's day. Hell, even starting shortly after the first of the year would involve trying to find a place to live during the period between Christmas and New Year's. I was forced to move at that time of the year before, it's impossible to get ahold of anyone, absolutely impossible. I would have to find a place to live within the next couple of days, most likely sight unseen.

It's starting to seem like more trouble than it's actually worth. And I've carved out an interesting little life for myself in Rapid City. The music has been a lot of fun, something I'd never done with any seriousness anyplace else I've ever lived. I'm having a good time doing it. I'm substitute teaching, and though I bitch about it a lot, I do enjoy it or I wouldn't continue to do it. Add the graphics that I do and the good folks I've met here, it would be hard to move on.

Yet none of the stuff I'm doing in RC are really gainful. I'm living hand to mouth, I do a lot of stuff, but most of it I don't get paid for. The one thing I do get paid for isn't steady enough to make a living doing.

I've looked into doing similar things to what I'd be doing at Echostar here in Rapid City. No TV job I've applied for in this town has even had the courtesy to acknowledge receipt of my resume, let alone been so good as to give me an interview. The son of 5-55, with no experience and one semester of school got an interview for a job at an agency. I applied for the same job and never heard back from them. A station I used to work for, used to direct newscasts for was looking for a newscast director no experience necessary but looking primarily for someone with a good knowledge of Adobe Photoshop. I applied. No reply.

I'd pretty much given up on television. The reason I applied to Echostar was because I was lying in bed one night, unable to sleep because I had no idea how I was going to pay the rent next month. I got up, went online and looked into employment opportunities at Echostar. It was a desperate move.

People have told me to just take the job, to do it for six months and bolt if that's the way I feel. I have never taken any full-time job that I didn't truely believe was going to be the last job I would ever have. Unfortunately, no employer has looked at it the same way. One job didn't provide insurance or vacation time, they worked me upwards of 60 hours a week because I was on salary. That company is right here in Rapid City, people there are still pissed because I left, so pissed that they won't even call back a person with experience directing newscasts and a pretty good understanding of Adobe Photoshop.

I don't want to leave here, but on the other hand, people who've had ample opportunity to hire me in this town simply won't. The first job offer I've had in four years is from a company from out of town. In a way I'm in no position to tell them no. Then again, they've gotten away with treating me like crap up to this point. Why the hell should they stop now?

What the hell am I to do?

BOJ

Comments:
The best indicator of future behavior from any person/entity/company is their past behavior.

Trust your gut instinct.

You know what you want to do. Be fearless and do it.
 
Homer Simpson would do it....John Lee Hooker would do it...and I quote:

"Blues a healer, all over the world
Blues a healer, healer, all over the world, all over the world
It healed me, it can heal you
The blues can heal you, early one morning
It can heal you
The blues can heal you
Yeah, yeah
It healed me, healed me
It healed me
I was down
I was down
It healed me
Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord, yes it did, yes it did
Look now......I think Cheyenne, Wyoming needs to hear BOJ wail his harp all over the town.
 
The best statement is that you have carved out an interesting little life for YOURSELF in the neighborhood.
 
Did I say that? What I really meant was, blow everything up, rape a priest, kill a nun. Fire. Loot. Pillage. For expert medical advice consult, consult, consult, uh, what?
 
Do what you think is right. Whatever is best for you. Maybe they got rid of the old HR person cause they were pissing you off and didn't want to lose a kick ass network control guy or whatever the hell you'll be doing like yourself?! :)

I dunno man. But if you do, let me know. I'll drive up there and buy ya a beer.
 
Thanks Winky. I know I sort of hid it in the posts after this one, but I took the job. Not sure exactly how I feel about it, but it's done. Now I have to have a good 'tude about it.

Me and D-Lowe may get out to Sin City sometime in the future. It's a healthy one day drive from Cheyenne, but a manageable drive for him. It'd be kinda cool to take you up on the beer.
 
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