Jack Byrnes:
Greg's in medicine too. Bob Banks:
What field? Greg Focker:
Nursing. Bob Banks:
Ha ha ha ha. No, really, what field are you in?Greg Focker:
Nursing. -Scene from 'Meet The Parents'
January 31, 2008: The End of An Era.My dad bought the business in 1976. Through countless hours of hard work and determination, he grew a once tiny company into a profitable business that enabled him to provide a comfortable living for him and his family, an accomplishment that I will forever be grateful.
In 1996, after 4 years of an unsuccessful collegiate career, I joined the company, working alongside my dad, my brother, and my aunt. It was truly a family affair! OK, OK. I'd be lying if I said that working for family didn't have its downside. For example, calling in sick was merely impossible. Because doing so, would trigger a call from a disappointed father who could probably count the number of sick days he has taken in his life on one hand and a mother who had to live with the aforementioned disappointed father. It just wasn't worth it.
Another touchy subject was vacation time. While my friends would go on vacations, they would leave behind everyday life as soon as they hopped into a car or plane. Oh no! Not me! Whenever I was in another place, other than Chicago, I was expected to take countless job-related calls from 8:00AM - 5:00PM CT. Nevertheless, I understood why those calls were necessary. The business, which put food on all of our tables, didn't stop just because I was in Cleveland watching and Indians game. I thought to myself, "If my dad was able to put vacation on hold when I was a kid, I should be expected to do the same." Yeah, it sucked, but what can you do? It was the norm.
With that being said, I loved working for dad. It gave me the opportunity to spend time with my father 5 days a week, a luxury that is not the norm for other working-aged people. Of course, there were times where things could get pretty heated between us; Times where I would curse under my breath and couldn't wait to get home. However, there were many more wonderful moments that happened when we found a break in the day. The good DEFINITELY outweighed the bad.
As they often say, 'All good things must come to an end.' Well, without going into too many details, our business was no exception. The last few years have been particularly tough. First, and most importantly, my Aunt, Faye, passed away. Cancer got the best of her. She was with my dad from the beginning. I worked side-by-side with her. Somewhere between the time I started there full-time until her death, she transformed herself from my aunt into a friend that I could laugh with, at, and everything in between. It was really fun working with her and the place truly wasn't the same without her. It seemed empty. Incomplete. Wrong.
As the economy, competition, and other factors that we could and could not control started to squeeze us, we found ourselves at a crossroad. After weighing all of our options, my dad decided to sell the business, his baby. So, this past January 31st, the company changed hands and was no longer his. A sad day indeed.
Where does that leave everyone? Well, my dad will slowly transition into a well deserved retirement. He and my mom will now have time to spend more time with their 5 grandchildren, and more time to see the World.
My brother is pursuing his MBA and will probably go back to the banking industry doing bank-thingy-ma-bobs, or whatever it is banking people do.
Me? I'm going back to school to be a nurse. I have a few semesters under my belt already and really looking forwards to starting the next chapter in my life.
Maybe this was a blessing in disguise. Currently, while waiting for the upcoming semester to start, I'm transitioning into a "Mr. Mom" role, and I'm loving it. I'm spending tons of time with Dawn and the kids. It also gives me the opportunity to pursue something that I've been wanting to do for a few years now. It was just so hard to do before because the money was too good to walk way from. But now, I guess I don't have that choice anymore ;)
Well, that's where I am in my life right now. Unemployed, a student, a husband, and a father of 3. Not exactly a walk in the park.
But, you know what? I don't think I've ever been happier, albeit with a few more challenges to face and gray hairs to sprout.
