I don’t know why I imbedded this YouTube vid…I just needed something to inspire myself….

Today’s the day….I walked away from what was a dream job

Yep that’s me..and the Running Room Run Club gang…….it was a good 9 years. Yes not always the best of times, but there was always something every day that made it a special happy place…….

After telling trains where to go for 35 years, it was quite a change…..but really….I sold shoes; for about 6 of those 9 years, I ran the place….the best part, hiring the best staff ever….sometimes that was a good thing, hiring, and yes there were some mistakes made, but, honestly the challenge was worth it…because when it worked, when the place had the right staff, that store rocked…..

I’m not going to post pictures or name names, but I’m thinking of 6, the super six, that made my life awesome…always positive, always fun, and they all just worked…….hard, and well…the best staff ever…..the best ever…I used to brag abut them, to other runners, other staff, our other stores…….our other store managers, they were that great……I’ll miss that and them….I already do…a special group of people….

So, why am I walking away….?

It’s just time….I walked away from managing about 3 years ago…..for 6 month my replacement was possibly the most miserable person I’d ever met…..awful……terrible….and yes, my life was hell…but…I still loved the place, and still felt a responsibility to it….for it…so worked, ran the run groups, taught virtual clinics, and did whatever I had to do to make it all okay…and in the end, she left, to be replaced by someone I knew work be perfect, and it has been…

Problem…..it’s been 9 years…I’m seriously old….64.3?…..I look old, I don’t really feel like I fit

the other thing…lots of staff…..maybe more than we need……I really don’t need to be there….I leave, others get more hours…..

simple math I guess…I can still run, I can still organize our Run Club, our Run Groups….I can still instruct and help out……I’m not absolutely walking away…….I will still be around..just not working or, selling……

It was weird working today…everything seemed normal…..as usual, I tried to keep it at that……unpacking boxes, doing my thing, selling shoes, being the best I could be……and then at 2:30, walked away….I didn’t even log in or out…I figured, the final day, do need to get paid?

That’s been the weird thing, it’s never been about getting paid…I never really cared…even when I was the boss and could…I would just be there, not on the schedule, not collecting hours, just running and looking after the store….one of my area managers pointed out that I hardly ever worked 20 hours a week, I pointed out to her that just because I wasn’t on our planner, it didn’t mean I wasn’t at the store………and another higher up said that I shouldn’t be at the store when I wasn’t paid….seriously..I couldn’t have cared less……I just liked being there…liked doing…..

Tomorrow’s going to be another day……do I change anything? Yes, that’s changed…..now it’s time to turn a page, and well, reboot?

sad, but an opportunity…..?

and memories…