A Chronicle of my Changing Times.

Being Next

One of my favorite feelings in the world is ‘being next’.  I remember going to Cedar Point (quite simply the best amusement park in the world) growing up and having to wait for hours in endless snaking lines for just about every rollercoaster there.  At the end of a 90 minute wait I would be standing up on the platform with no one in front of me knowing I was going to be the next one onto the ride.  That brought me almost as much joy as riding the “tallest, fastest, and steepest” whatever was out there.

I see it in other aspects of my life.  There’s something to be said about the ever so sweet place of being next.  When I pull up to a stoplight, I usually don’t bemoan having to stop, as long as I’m the up front and the very first person to go when the light changes.  I actually get excited when I’m told on some customer service lines that I am the next one to be served (as opposed to have 5 people in front of me).  This also applies to cusp of something different.  I’ve had this feeling in the past when moving as I am just about to pull away from my old abode.

And tonight I’m having this feeling again. 

Tomorrow is my last day with the bank.  There is only before the bank and after the bank for me now.  This is a major stepping stone for me, for whilst I’ve done many things in the past to prepare and head towards Peace Corps – this is the first completely irreversible step I’m taking.  I’ll never walk across the gangplank (as I like to call it) between the parking deck and my building.  I’ve dreamt of this day since just about my first day there over five years ago.  It’s a wonderful, wonderful feeling and I’m soaking up every moment of it that I can.

And then there’s also news about Peace Corps since I last wrote.  I received a call yesterday at work from a man by the name of Larry Hendrix.  Larry is a compliance officer at my bank which means he basically oversees brokerage departments to insure that they are in compliance with NASD, SEC and other Federal regulations.  Basically, he’s there to make sure all the brokers are being honest.  As you can only imagine, this makes him enormously popular with just about everyone with which he has to work.  Larry worked with my brother-in-law Dan before Dan came over to the dark side a few months ago and became a branch broker himself.

So around noon I get a call on my back personal line from Larry which went something like this…

“Hello, this is Michael.” Questioning who has this number.

“This is Larry, your compliance officer.”  I had met him ever so briefly a few months ago.  “Have you spoken with your brother-in-law Dan within the last hour?”

“Umm…. No?” I respond sheepishly trying to rack my brain as to what Dan could have done that could possibly get me fired with only 2.5 days left.

“Well….”  Children are conceived, born, and have teeth before he finishes.  “My daughter is going Bulgaria with the Peace Corps in April.  I understand that you’re going as well?”

I honestly don’t remember the rest of the conversation as I tried to wrap my mind around what he was saying.  There are roughly 45 Invitees in my group.  What are the odds that one of them comes from the Charlotte area?  Even more, what are the odds that one would live within 5 minutes of me?  Even beyond that, what are the odds that said person would be a mere 2^nd degree separated from me in real life or that her father would oversee my department?  I am still blown away by this.

So I called and spoke with her for over 2 hours last night, and we get along rather well.  She, too, quits her job tomorrow.  We’ll be having breakfast/lunch on Monday.  And it looks like I’ll be starting this sojourn a leg up on many by actually meeting face to face someone serving in my group. 

I consider myself lucky.  Not only do I get to meet Mickey, Larry’s daughter, but I’ve also begun to form friendships with other invitees including Melody and Sarah, which can only help as this leap of faith I’m about to take.

I’m up to the edge of the cliff.  It looks like I’m next.

Posted by: mjmarble at March 30, 2005 21:52 | link | comments (1)

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