Proof of G-d
I believe in G-d. My belief is absolute and unapologetic. I'm not some whacko that thinks G-d is speaking to me. But, I do know that he is looking out for me. Today, he provided me with yet another example of his watchful eye.
I was driving on a highway, approaching an intersection. I had a green light and was traveling about 10km faster than the posted limit. Oncoming traffic also had a green light, and one of the oncoming drivers, who was stopped in the left-turn lane waiting for traffic to clear, decided to turn onto the side street while I was approaching him. I probably would not have taken that chance, given the circumstances. Fortunately, he completed his turn safely (but with little room to spare).
Unfortunately, the idiotic driver behind him decided he could follow - and also attempted the same turn without checking traffic. An accident was unavoidable. With only two car lengths between my car and the side of his SUV, I was preparing for the crash, staring at the face of his terrified passenger who, no doubt, was seeing his life flash before his eyes.
A combination of quick reflexes, the fact that my car was small and nimble, and particularly the brand new rubber on the road allowed a miraculous stop; literally inches from his SUV. Physics would dictate that such a short stop was not possible. The look of amazement in the face of the driver stopped for the red light on the side street who witnessed this event confirmed what I already knew... it was a miracle that an accident had not occurred.
I didn't honk my horn. I didn't follow the idiotic driver for the purpose of confronting him about his life-threatening decision. I simply continued on my way, grateful that nobody had been following behind me - lest I be the one critically injured by being hit from behind.
Thank G-d!
I'm not an exciting person, but anything that crosses my mind that I care to share with the rest of the world will appear here.
Monday, November 10, 2014
Monday, November 03, 2014
I'm almost tired
I'm almost tired
See that? A play on words. Tomorrow, I finally have an appointment to get my new tires - just in time for winter.
In reality though, I'm already tired. I spend most days waiting for the phone to ring, hoping to have enough clients to get me through each month. There are two types of "self employed" - those that have a thriving business, and those that do whatever they can to avoid starvation. I'm in the latter camp.
I'm not depressed, per se; just really disillusioned. When 9-11 happened, I was already approaching that "invisible line" where IT people are considered "over the hill". Having decided several years earlier to leave a reasonably secure job in my hometown to pursue a better-paying position at a prestigious company within commuting distance just across the border, I didn't foresee any event that would result in me losing that job. The thickening of the border after the terrorist attacks created a situation that still has an impact on cross-border commuting to this day. Not only did commuting during the immediate days, weeks and months become increasingly difficult; but the economy itself was affected, resulting in a significant downsizing of my employer's operations. And I was one of those deemed "expendable".
It took many months to find employment, and when I did finally find a company willing to hire an "older" worker in an IT capacity, it was for far less than I had been accustomed to earning. Far less, in fact, than the salary I had been earning prior to leaving my stable employment to seek fame and fortune across the border. And then, that job disappeared with the sale of the company to a competitor.
I have few regrets in life. Leaving a company I really loved and helped succeed was one of them. I hadn't realized that I had been slated to fulfill a VP-level position in that organization - a fact I discovered during my farewell party. In hindsight, sticking with them would have been the best solution - and I would have never accepted a position elsewhere had I known about the catastrophic event that would happen less than five years later.
As I approach the nine-year anniversary of my own small business, I guess I should be happy it's still in existence. I haven't lost hope that things will improve, but I would prefer to see that happen sooner than later.
And now, I'm off to help another client.
See that? A play on words. Tomorrow, I finally have an appointment to get my new tires - just in time for winter.
In reality though, I'm already tired. I spend most days waiting for the phone to ring, hoping to have enough clients to get me through each month. There are two types of "self employed" - those that have a thriving business, and those that do whatever they can to avoid starvation. I'm in the latter camp.
I'm not depressed, per se; just really disillusioned. When 9-11 happened, I was already approaching that "invisible line" where IT people are considered "over the hill". Having decided several years earlier to leave a reasonably secure job in my hometown to pursue a better-paying position at a prestigious company within commuting distance just across the border, I didn't foresee any event that would result in me losing that job. The thickening of the border after the terrorist attacks created a situation that still has an impact on cross-border commuting to this day. Not only did commuting during the immediate days, weeks and months become increasingly difficult; but the economy itself was affected, resulting in a significant downsizing of my employer's operations. And I was one of those deemed "expendable".
It took many months to find employment, and when I did finally find a company willing to hire an "older" worker in an IT capacity, it was for far less than I had been accustomed to earning. Far less, in fact, than the salary I had been earning prior to leaving my stable employment to seek fame and fortune across the border. And then, that job disappeared with the sale of the company to a competitor.
I have few regrets in life. Leaving a company I really loved and helped succeed was one of them. I hadn't realized that I had been slated to fulfill a VP-level position in that organization - a fact I discovered during my farewell party. In hindsight, sticking with them would have been the best solution - and I would have never accepted a position elsewhere had I known about the catastrophic event that would happen less than five years later.
As I approach the nine-year anniversary of my own small business, I guess I should be happy it's still in existence. I haven't lost hope that things will improve, but I would prefer to see that happen sooner than later.
And now, I'm off to help another client.