So I was laid off from my Corporate America job, after 10 years, a couple months ago.  I took a couple months for the holidays to blow over and really think about what I wanted to be when I grow up.  I love dogs, and was considering going into the dog training field.  However, that doesn't pay much, especially for an entry level type position.  So I interviewed for a couple other corporate jobs, similar to what I was doing, but not enjoying.  Then this past Monday, I get two phone calls, requesting me to come in for interviews.  The first one was for a job I didn't think I'd get, the pay was nearly twice as much as I was making before.  After I hung up, I was excited, I figure if I've gotta go back to cubicle life, I might as well be able to make the commute in a Mercedes.  So I was getting all my stuff together, visualizing the interview in my mind and getting ready to knock it out of the park.  Then my phone rings again...it's a pet store wanting me to come tomorrow and interview for their dog trainer position.  HMMM.  That's cool, I'll go and see what's that's like, plus that interview is first, and will be a good way for me to warm up for my real interview, for the big money job. 

So I go into the pet store and interview with 3 people at the same time there.  Really cool people actually, happy, joking around.  I've never had an interview I'd consider "fun" before, but that would qualify.  So in usual "Kris" fashion, they love me and offer me the job on the spot, and tell me what the pay is...and it ain't much.  I am honest and tell them I've got an interview coming up in a couple hours for a job that pays a truckload of money, and I need to see what that's all about.  They understand, and ask me to call by the end of the week (today) with an answer. 

So I go to the next interview, it's pretty stuffy and ridgid, but I'm use to that from my last job and I ace this one too.  They are going to recommend me for the job, and asked that I come back tomorrow (weds) for a 2nd interview.  I do, I ace it as well.  They say they will call me with exact salary figures by Thursday afternoon.

Long story short - After a long discussion with the wife, and her being really upset that I didn't want to sell my soul so she can put a pool in the backyard, buy a new car, and eventually be a stay at home mom...she gave me a chance to make the dog trainer job work.

I really lobbied for the job that I'm passionate about, and will enjoy. A career path to me is finding what you love and are passionate about, and working as hard as you can to create a living doing that...a career path is not improving your brown-nosing and microsoft office skills so you can get a cube where you can actually see part of a window if you lean out into the aisle.

A big thing that influced me to make the decision I did, was all the various crashes I've had.  The times I'd been laying there in the hospital and hearing the doctors talking to each other saying I had no chance to live, or being told I'd never walk again or even be able to sit up, or I'd have to be put in a nursing home at the age of 23...all those things obviously stuck with me, and I don't take any day I'm alive for granted.  So I intend to love what I do all day, and work hard, and do it the best I can, because when my number is up, the quality and happiness of the life I had are waaaay more important than the money I have in the bank.

Have a good time ya'll!

Kris