Let's Go Red Sox!!

   The new century has been good to the Red Sox.  They conquered the past by winning a Championship in 2004, after 82 long years, with three near-misses that went seven games.  They swept the Cardinals in four games, winning it all on the road. It was something many Bostonians thought they would never see.  

      In 2007, the Sox did it again, sweeping the World Series this time against the Colorado Rockies. I almost felt sorry for the opposition, but I was thrilled to have won it all twice within three years.

      The Red Sox have been to the playoffs several times since, but finally we are back, on the cusp of winning the World Series again.  This time it's been a little bit harder. We have played five games, and are ahead three games to two. We blew out the Cardinals 8-1 in the first game.  We left Fenway with the series tied at one game apiece. Then we lost game three with a controversial and strange play at third base. The ump ruled that one of the Cardinals was obstructed on his way home, after tripping over our third baseman. He was on his stomach, and clearly didn't have intent on tripping up the runner, or at least it didn't appear so. At any rate, we lost that game since it was the bottom of the ninth on their field.

     I didn't like the feeling of losing that way, and felt concern about being behind with two more games to go in Saint Louie. I shouldn't have worried. We won the next two games with timely hitting, unlikely heroes, and a great pick off throw by our closer.

     I think most of our town believes The Red Sox will win on Wednesday night. If we do, it will be the first World Series clinching at Fenway Park since 1918, the year my grandmother was born. Think about it.  Win or lose, I'll be back with a follow-up post when the Series is over.

LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Making Lemonade Out Of Sour Lemons

   Life is funny, and sometimes things happen that you have to react to. The key is to react in a way that helps you, not hurt you. That's what I've been dealing with the past few weeks.

   First, I found out my boss was resigning. This meant I could  apply for her position, which I held in the past. I have to admit I wanted my old job back pretty badly, for a variety of reasons I won't get into here. 

   The bottom line, I got my certification for just this occasion, so I'd be ready to become a director once again. I liked to think hiring me would be a no-brainer. I know the building and the residents, and what changes the administrator was looking for. 

    To make a long story short, I didn't get the promotion. I was told it was a hard decision, but they hired someone with more experience. If I want to be a director, I should apply at this place or that place (facilities the other candidate had applied that had openings).   

    Maybe it wasn't intended that way, but to me, this was a slap in the face. I was more than devastated and disappointed, I was insulted.  I felt hurt that I was being told to go apply somewhere else. My thinking was, if I'm not good enough for the place I've been over 13 years, why would I be good enough anywhere else? I knew I was  the best person for the job, but my confidence took a hit. 

    So, I immediately began looking online for another job. That's when I realized it was better to be lucky than good. I found a perfect job. Small building, family owned,  and I knew the director of nurses. I called her, and inquired. She told me to get there quick for an interview, and she'd love to have me join the team as the activity director. 

   I overlooked the only obstacle, which would be the inconvenience of getting to the place. It's only 15 minutes away, rather than the five minute commute I have now. But it's not accessible by public transportation.  I figured if I got the job, I would get something else that was very overdue in my life: my driver's license.

   Well, I got the job! I start in early November. So my life will be changing a lot.  It's a change I will embrace. The best part of this was finding out how much support I had from the people I deal with every day, especially the two  co-workers I would've been managing. Co-workers, family members and outside people who come in were as outraged as I was that I wasn't promoted. Just knowing they had confidence in me and my abilities took the sting out of the loss. And every one of them is thrilled that not only am I doing the right thing by moving on, I'm empowering myself in the process!

  Change is difficult for some people, especially me. Normally,  I don't think there's anything wrong with being comfortable, and being satisfied with what you have. In the past I considered new jobs. But after going to apply and seeing the hassle it would be to my quality of life, I was happy to stay where I was. This time, I resisted the temptation to play it safe. 
    This time I knew leaving was the only decision I should make. Why? Because it would be the only way to prove my worth, to show management they made a mistake. Not that they would ever admit it. 
   In the past I was more stubborn, and stayed because I thought they wanted me to leave, and I wasn't going to give them that satisfaction. Not to mention the economy was bad, and there wasn't a job out there with comparable pay. I was vindicated then when my  replacement did crazy things and got herself fired. But I still wasn't certified, so I wasn't able to get my job back. That was three years ago, and here we are.
    So,I'm finally moving on. I made lemonade from sour lemons  when I found a new job doing what I do best, in a smaller setting. I know already I'll be appreciated. And that makes all the difference in the world.