the old stompin' grounds

I just returned from a four-day excursion to northern Michigan. The primary goal of the trip was to purchase new cross country skis and then use them on the wonderful nordic trails that are available there. A secondary goal was to visit places that were familiar to me when I lived there some years ago. My job was as a biologist for an Indian tribe, and the view from my office window looked something like this photo. I loved the area, and enjoyed working with a tribal organization. The pay was decent and the benefits were good. The main problem was that I had Major Issues with my (Caucasian) boss. I have some ancestors who spoke Gaelic, so I figure that is why I can go from zero to livid in about 3 seconds. One day my boss and I had a Major Disagreement and in a fit of anger I made the decision to quit. I didn't have another job lined up but it didn't seem to matter at the moment.

I came back to Indiana and scraped together an income from a couple of part-time jobs. It was two years before I had another paid day off. I finally was hired on full-time, but now my window looks out on a bunch of storage units and a busy urban road. And I still can go from zero to livid in about 3 seconds on any given workday. But what I have learned from all this is: don't make the decision to quit when you're angry. Go for a bike ride or walk. Go cross-country skiing if there's snow. Go home sick. Just don't make a decision you'll think about the rest of your life.