Bailey, played by Jimmy Stewart, was the main character of "It's Wonderful Life." Throughout the movie, he struggles to escape his hometown of Bedford Falls for a larger world of adventure:
George Bailey: [George hears a train whistle] There she blows. You know what the three most exciting sounds in the world are?That was me 10 years ago--couldn't wait to leave Northern Virginia. I was born there and lived there most of my life. It was the hub for my spoked wheel life--I would move away only to return after a few years. My final (final?) escape took a dogleg route to Seattle by way of San Antonio. Since then, we've been living--I mean--really living. But it was that 2-year stint in San Antonio that really helped to set me straight.
Uncle Billy: Uh huh. Breakfast is served; lunch is served; dinner...
George Bailey: No no no no. Anchor chains, plane motors and train whistles.
See, I was working at a company that was not a good fit. I had a great salary, reserved parking space, and country club membership--all perks of the company. But to say I was unhappy working there would be an understatement. To say that I self-medicated through Scotland's Finest would not be incorrect. The toll it took on my health and well-being was visible.
This won't be a list of that company's problems or a few problematic people I encountered; I still have a lot of great friends in SA, and if it weren't for that experience, I might not be where I am today. But the company was a bad cultural fit. There were plenty of signs, but one memory in particular stands out: I was having lunch with a friend toward the end and we were talking about my next career move. He commented that he could see that I was forcing myself to change to fit the company's culture and that he could see that I didn't like it. That was my wake-up call. When your mental struggle manifests itself physically, you are not in the right place. So I got the hell out of Dodge.
In my darkest career hour, I re-evaluated my goals and values and landed on top. Instead of focusing on job titles, salary, and the corner office, my new focus became the Work Experience, the Team, and the Deliverables. The result being the most productive, more rewarding, and most enjoyable years of my working life. And it's enabled me to better enjoy my family time and community involvement. Not to mention my family involvement and community time. It enabled me to take that cross-country motorcycle ride, which launched this blog.
And more than ever, it helped me understand that no man is a failure who has friends.
