I request your prayers

[Barrycuda]

Folks, I'm tired. For more than 20 years I've had jobs that require a lot of travel. For more than 10 years I worked for a company that is based in Hong Kong and traveled all of North and South America with many trips to Hong Kong, China, England, Germany, Japan, Thailand and other places mixed in here and there.

 

For the past 10 years, I've been at a job where the distances were shorter but the travel is even more frequent. I travel weekly in OH, MI, IN, KY, WV, PA and NY. Usually leave on Monday morning and return either Thursday night or Friday and that is week after week.

 

I am fortunate to work for a very good company and I have no complaints about them but like I said in my opening remark....I am just tired. I want to spend more time at home. I want to sleep beside my wife every night. I don't want to drive miles and miles and miles.

 

I am seriously considering making a job change. It will be a lot different but very close to home and no travel. Money will likely not be as good but has potential of being very close. A BIG negative is that I won't have the vacation time that I have now. At least not paid vacation. I think I can probably at least negotiate a deal so that I can get the same amount of time off but without pay. I could live with that.

 

It's a hard decision and to be honest, more than a little scary. I ask your prayers for me doing the right thing.

 

Thanks.

 

 

Boss, You have my unwavering support and prayers. I think it's always going to be unnerving when it comes to change and the unknown. You will adjust and maybe this is whats needed. Good luck and as Yammer Dan would say: "I'm washing my dog and PRAYERS UP !"

[b2dad]

I can't give you any more advice than what's already here. Sending prayers that you will be at peace with your decision, and Eileen too.

 

Priorities change as you get older. Make the most of what you can now. It may not be here tomorrow.

 

Patti

[Squidley]

All the best with your decision brother, although I believe you know what to do. None of us are getting any younger and time with family and friends usually starts trumping money. I know you will make the right choice for you and Eileen.

[mwheue]

After spending 20 years seeing the world and traveling abroad I can say without a doubt that the best choice I ever made in life was to take less money and a 9-5 job. Being able to wake up every day with your wife, spend weekends together riding, camping, or whatever you choose is good., but being able to communicate daily and actually knowing each other is golden and a opportunity I would never change. I never have to say "I am sorry I wish I was there for you" and you could not pay me any amount to take a job traveling again. Good luck with your choice. Mike

[ragtop69gs]

Don, I gave up a 100K+ a year job that did not require travel but, it was 12 hours a day 6&7 days a week. It was a hard decision but one I do not regret. I now work part time for peanuts and even though the money does not flow like it once did, I am much happier now. I didn't realize how much of life passed me by while I was chasing the $$$

 

Only you and Eileen can know what's best. What ever your decision, make peace with it and move on with life.

[Grandpagak]

i have always lived for happyness... I have no money.. I dont care.. I have probably been one of the happiest people that i know.. They say that money cant buy happiness!! ( buut it sometimes is nice) a few years back i had a cotastrophic time .. I lost my job of 32 years, lost my home, and my wife had cancer.. We had to start over from scratch.. But we were alright with it all.. We had each other and the kids.. Today we have no mortgage, no car pmts., still no money... So we spend all of our time together, and with friends.. We are veery content with our life.. I guess what i am trying to say is , go for it don, you know what yoou need to live on and what the bills are, just being with the wife more will make you happier than all the money can!!

[Wrench]

I don't think I can add much more than the others, but I do have a front row seat to what you're going thru. We get so caught up in a set "routine" that anything that deviates from that just rocks our little worlds. Back in '09 the company I worked for offered an early retirement incentive to reduce their global workforce. I had about 3 1/2 weeks to decide the fate of my 28yrs with them. I lost sleep over it until I talked to a friend who had retired from there a couple years before. He told me how he approached his decision, sit down with your wife and put a pencil to it. I do know how the "tired" thing goes too, you get to a point where you kinda want things to slow down just a bit. I do know that there's no way that I could do the maintenance work now that I was doing then. I worked for a tanning salon company for 18 months, 12 of that on the road as a tech. It had gotten to the point where I was doing 10-12 hours a day and 2500-3000 miles a week, it felt like a merry-go-round that would not stop. I guess I took the long way to get here, but you can make it work. Good luck, and you know we're all here for you.

[Evan]

There is a definite theme to the responses to your post Don and I would like to echo that theme. I also want to wish you and Eileen health and happiness which generally, money can't buy, as many have noted. My hat is off to you for sharing your situation with us. It really is like a family and you are definitely the patriarch.

[dogman]

Don, I wish you all the best with your decision. Amazing that I should log on today and read this thread, I have not been on all winter. Money is more of a priority when the family is young as we want to provide the best we can, but as many have already said, at a point we realize that time becomes more important then money. I too am struggling with a similar decision. Only I wasn't smart to reach out. I sunk inwards to myself all winter freiting about it. 23 years doing what I love and feeling blessed and highly favoured to do. I have now made the decision to try something new and have just interviewed for it. I will have much more time off and a little less money, but I really want the time off, which I feel now is much more important.

 

God Bless and be happy with your decision

[Marcarl]

Don, I wish you all the best with your decision. Amazing that I should log on today and read this thread, I have not been on all winter. Money is more of a priority when the family is young as we want to provide the best we can, but as many have already said, at a point we realize that time becomes more important then money. I too am struggling with a similar decision. Only I wasn't smart to reach out. I sunk inwards to myself all winter freiting about it. 23 years doing what I love and feeling blessed and highly favoured to do. I have now made the decision to try something new and have just interviewed for it. I will have much more time off and a little less money, but I really want the time off, which I feel now is much more important.

 

God Bless and be happy with your decision

 

Oh Oh,, there goes the neighbourhood!!!!

Congrats Dave,, does that mean we have to get the coffee ready???

[dogman]

Oh Oh,, there goes the neighbourhood!!!!

Congrats Dave,, does that mean we have to get the coffee ready???

 

No coffee, but love some chocolate milk Carl

[kevin-vic-b.c.]

Don, not everyone understands the feeling of wanting to sleep beside your wife at night. I have always had the day shift jobs with the on call pager mixed in until a few years back. I ended up with a great plant job, one site not service calls all over town, not sales trips or meetings. I average about 10 weeks a year off between the way the scheduled runs with flex time and I always take my over-time as time off.

The flaw is the 2 weeks out of 5 that I am basically working opposite shift to what Lori works. The perfect job in all other ways except the time away from that very important person.

I am with you, more as we age, we miss the one person that for all these years has been there supporting every step we make.... right or the many wrong steps.

Money makes the world go round but it does not make the heart beat.

I pick the time with the love if it was me.

[Skeeter]

Trust in God with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understandings. In all ways acknowledge Him and He will direct thy paths - Proverbs 3: 5&6

 

My prayers for you Freebird. In 2012 I lost my job at Kodak after 29 years. I had 5 weeks vacation and a very generous salary, but I too was tired and welcomed the opportunity for a change. I am now back to doing what I love to do, design drafting. I only have one week of vacation and my salary is 70% less than what I was making. Sure, I've had to make some adjustments, but I am so happy at my new job, the pay cut doesn't even matter.