I’m sure that most of us have had major crossroad moments in our lives that we know without a shadow of a doubt is a crossroad moment.
“Do I ask this girl to marry me or no?”
“Do I take this risky job that’s paying a ton of money or stay with the safer job for much less?”
“Do I write the novel within me despite my doubts about my abilities or do I press forward and let the chips fall where they may?”
I just pulled three random examples out of the air, but you get the point.
About ten years ago, I had a choice in my own life — work for a company on a Y2K project as a contractor where I would likely be hired at the end of the contract, or stay put. I chose the former because (1) the money was so huge and (2) working for a major telecommunication company seemingly on top of the world seemed like a safe choice whereas my own company, having been purchased for the second time, seemed less safe.
A lot of things have happened to me over those ten years. I didn’t get hired by the telecom company because they outsourced the work to another company. I went to work for another company that I loved (though I didn’t love my lack of benefits contract) but they were sold to a company who said, “We aren’t in the IS/IT business” and so outsourced our jobs. I went back to work for the major telecom company at a new location, but then the illegal activities of the company heads sent the company into bankruptcy and me out of a job. Now, I’ve worked for “The Company” both as a contractor and as an Extended Tenure Extra employee for well over five years.
With time against me as to whether I continue to have a job or not, I admit that I have at times wondered on whether the decision that has led me to where I’m currently at was the right one. God works in mysterious ways, because my old friend and co-worker Jibster contacted me the other day, letting me know that his job is being outsourced but he didn’t say where (I have a good idea — somewhere in the world where you can get some “foreign bastards” to work for pennies on the dollar).
So, what’s the lesson from God? I am right where I’m supposed to be, even if I lose my own job. This is the U.S. with lots of opportunities and should I lose my job, I’ll have to do some serious consideration and prayer on what to do next.
Let’s get to a root of the main problem: the companies’ actions are the real problem, since they make all the decisions on who to keep their jobs and who to lose their jobs and when and where to outsource.
I’d say, the companies are greedy bastards.