After Meeting Sue

After the meeting with Sue, Dave went home. He started to think more about his future. There seemed to be no end to all the downsizing. His career was at risk. He felt like he had spent years climbing a ladder only to find it leaning against the wrong wall.

The next day, when he went to work as usual, Dave looked around the office, but it was not the same any more. “I should not be here” he thought. He sat down at his desk and contemplated having to work at this desk for years, always living in fear that he would be next. There was no sense in it any more.

Dave’s mind was racing. Having to think about his future was new to him. Until now, he had blindly believed that his employer would take care of him. The image of the airplane on autopilot had shown him that he was headed for trouble. He saw that he had to disengage the autopilot and take back control of his future. And he had to do it soon.

His days at work seemed to drag by painfully slowly. It was funny. He used to really get a kick out of working here, but those days were a distant memory. Now, all he thought about was getting out.

Dave had to make a change. Staying put was not an option. Move somewhere else? But what if other places were just the same? It would be like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. He would lose his years of seniority and be no better off than before.

Perhaps he could go into business for himself. He didn’t know much about business; all his education and training had prepared him to be an employee.

Dave thought about Sue for a moment. She clearly was not living her life on autopilot. Perhaps if she could do it, then he could too. The more he thought about Sue, the more her example gave him confidence.