Monday, November 8, 2010

It was 1980 something...

1985 to be exact

I was a mere quarter century old
a newlywed
without children
living in an apartment in Knoxville Tennessee

I was also bright eyed, tan, and oh so very thin
but that's not really the point of this little post

Hubs was working
I was working

Opportunity knocked
Hubs leapt
its what he does

He prepared
researched
interviewed
and got the new job

a sales rep
hubs is a natural born salesman
as the saying goes, he could sell ice to an Eskimo

This new job was not in Knoxville Tennessee
It was in Richmond Virginia

We moved from our apartment to a townhouse in Richmond
And were suddenly completely on our own
not that we weren't living on our own in Knoxville
but hubs family was just down the road
available

it was in 1985 that travel entered our work vocabulary
and our life
hubs worked and traveled
and worked and traveled
I worked too but with a whole lot less pressure to climb

On Friday night hubs joined a club
the 25 year club

his company hosts a very nice event for the honorees
25 years, 30 years, 40 years, two gentlemen were celebrating 45 years
with the same company

this used to be common
not so much anymore
we may have gone to said event in style...


I'm the one in the black dress...


many years have passed since hubs signed on as a brand new sales rep
we have had six work related moves
he hasn't been a sales rep since 1989

hubs loves a challenge
and has had no less than 10 roles in the past 25 years
all with the same company
go hubs!

we've made some wonderful friends thru his job
we've seen babies born and babies married
we enjoy these friendships with co-workers spread far and wide
an unexpected blessing in a job

I'm thankful every day for hubs job
and most especially for how hard he has worked all our married life
I do not ever take that for granted
I pray my daughters find husbands with a work ethic like hubs
I pray my daughters have a work ethic like hubs

He has been a good role model and example to his girls
ambitious
determined
flexible
creative
kind
full of integrity
self-discipline
and humor

Something we used to hear quite often when we moved overseas was that Americans live to work and Europeans work to live. Finding the right balance between work and life is a tricky thing sometimes. I think my hubs has done it well.

22 comments:

  1. Having been married to an airline pilot, who lived and worked all over the world, I can relate. It's so nice we are retired now, but at times, I do miss the travel!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Amazing ... that many years with one company is just unheard of these days. My DH had worked for 38 years for the same company when he retired 2 years ago. He had hoped to go for 40 years, but when they offered him early retirement (with paid health insurance until he reaches medicare age), how could he say no? We love being retired while young enough to travel, enjoy our grandkids, etc.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow!!!! That IS something!!! Not only is it hard to find a loyal employee but now a days it is hard to find a loyal employer!!! Congrats to your husband and his employer for TEAM WORK!! And to you...behind every good man...you know what I'm getting at!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Congratulations! 25 years is definitely a milestone in this day and age!

    Your hubs is a good guy!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Congratulations to your hubs! I agree with Tina Leigh, these days it's hard to find a loyal employee AND a loyal employer. Didn't those 25 years go by in a hurry????

    ReplyDelete
  6. Definitely your hubby sounds like he's found the right balance. Congratulations on 25 years!

    I'm looking forward to your details tomorrow. I want to join in on what you're cooking up. : )

    ReplyDelete
  7. I hope your hubs reads this. What an awesome post! And congrats to him for staying at the same company for so long! That is an accomplishment in itself and shows how much they (the bosses) like him.
    Looks like a fun celebration!

    P.S.
    I´ll be here on Wednesday for sure!

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a nice post about your husband. I hope he reads it later. Is he a "follower" :>)? Enjoy this crazy NJ weather today!

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a great post! And 25 years that is wonderful. Stan had worked for the govt for 33 years and retired 7 years ago when his wife got really sick, my ex would not keep a job longer than 3 years. Life is good now! It looks like you guys had quite a celebration! That is wonderful definitely something to celebrate! Tell your hubby congrats!
    until next time...nel

    ReplyDelete
  10. Congratulations to both of you! I say both of you because I know (from experience) that this accomplishment takes a lot of support on the home front also. :)
    My Hubs will be with the same firm for 25 years also next year. Wow, I had not thought of it really until I read this.
    We caught us some good ones, eh? :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. 25 years is a wonderful accomplishment. Such a great post dedicated to your hubs. Love the black dress-es. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Congrats from me as well. We've lived in the same place for over 26 years so I've been spared the moving and traveling thing.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Great post, and what a hubs you have :) Congratulations to him.

    ReplyDelete
  14. 25 years with the same company: that is amazing! Congrats!

    ReplyDelete
  15. He has done a wonderful job. I know how proud you are of him and how blessed you are to have him in your life.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Wow - 25 years. That's great and what a life/adventure you both have had in that time:)

    By the way, I saw your comment about Wednesday Post. Love it! I'm on board:)

    ReplyDelete
  17. In this day and age, that is a HUGE milestone. Congrats to your whole family!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Loved this! I'm so proud of him-Go Daddy!!!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Congratulations!! What an awesome post!! (you had a major" little black dress" moment by the way)

    ReplyDelete
  20. I'm sitting here reading your post while my Hubby is away travelling for his job (after about the same amount of time). Congratulations to your Hubby on a job well done! You should be proud!!

    BTW... couldn't help but giggle about the black dress comment - hee hee The lady in the gold must live on Sesame Street... "one of these things is not like the other" hee hee ;-)

    Hugs

    ReplyDelete
  21. I know you are proud of your hubby. That is wonderful. My husband will have worked for his company for 37 years this January. He is ready to retire! Great post! Love & blessings from NC!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I needed to read this today as I inwardly grumbled about ANOTHER trip. I love him. He loves his work. Ergo I need to love him traveling.

    ReplyDelete