Destiny or Happenstance?

Now here's the story and it's up to you, to make up your mind:

2 weeks ago I went for lunch with an ex-working-colleague of mine. He told me great news, about the department I've been working and has big plans for the future. He also asked me to stay at the company and to work together with him to fulfil this plans. It really sounds like a great future and the opportunities he showed me, are amazing. It's like my past-dreams of climbing the social-ladder are coming true. Because he's not only a working-colleague, but also a good friend of mine, I promised to reconsider my decision very thoroughly and tell him within the next day's if there's a chance for me, to return to the company. It was clear, that I wont break up completely with my ideas about my future, so there've been also offers that consider this circumstance and offer my a big range of freedom.

Well, what should I say? I was a little bit confused, because this would be the "classical" career, that someone typically would seek and that is payed attention to, within the common society. And haven't I worked very hard and long and studied avocational to achieve something like that?

So I did, what - in my opinion - helps best in this situation: I called some friends, to talk about the whole situation, my thoughts, my feelings, etc. I was surprised by the strength of feelings, that have been triggered by that. I really thought about it very detailed. But from the begining, there was some "strange" feeling, whenever I thought about staying at the company. Finally it tourned out to be absolutely not accordable to my dreams and feelings, when I return to the company at this very moment. Inversely, I even felt a very strong denial to do so. Thanks to my friends, who spent hours discussing the pro and contra and my feelings - I really appreciate this!

That's why I called my friend on Monday and told him, that at the very moment, there's no way for me to stay at the company. I can't tell, what happens in the future, but at this moment, I'm absolutely clear: there's no chance. Nevertheless, it wasn't easy for me to do so. Have you ever told a friend, that you are not able to help him? Well, that's exactly like I felt in this moment. A little bit like letting someone down ... because it's not that easy to leave the department and the product for which's success I've been working the last 14 years - "on duty" (the program) is still my "baby" and I'm proud of the success we've been able to achieve within the last years. That was only possible because of the team and the positiv spirit within. So it's not easy for me to say goodbye, but I made up my mind and I'm sure, that it is the correct decision.

And now the "destiny": I made this phone-call on Monday in the early afternoon on my way from my parents to my flat in Steyr. Later that evening I continued my travel and went to Vienna. I was rather late, because first I thought I will be in Vienna at the early afternoon and I wanted to go straight from St. Georgen to Vienna, but first I stayed longer at St. Georgen and then I recognized, that I had forgotten something in my flat and when I was there, I thought: There's no need to hurry. So I finished some other stuff first and on my way to Vienna I stopped at a nice cafe near Steyr. When I finally was entering the motorway, I recognized in the very last moment an hitch-hiker with a sign "Vienna" besides the slip road. First I thought: Funny - that's my direction. Then: I don't take hitch-hikers with me normally and least of all one single male hitch-hiker. In the back-mirror I saw, that a few meters behind him, his girlfriend was waiting and in an offhand intuition I stopped at the side of the street and they came running after the car.

Already in the first few minutes they told me, that they've just arrived from a round-the-world-trip! What are the odds! They even have been to South-America and so we talked a lot about the countries and their experience there. I thought about asking them to meet again and to talk about their journey, so that I get some more information from someone who has recently been there and also was hitch-hiking through the countries. On our way to Vienna, Miriam asked me: Do you speak spanish? And I said: Well, I completed a course 2 years ago and didn't have the chance to practice. So at the moment I'm looking forward to find a native speaker in Steyr, that can give me some private-lessons. They both laughed and Miriam said: Well my sister has just returned from 10 month living in Costa Rica and she speaks spanish very good, she even has an boy-friend from Costa Rica and she is studying spanish and portugese. She lives in Steyr and I'm sure, she will help you! ... ... ... What the heck? I couldn't believe it at first! Now that are good news and the chance that this will happen must be 1 to a few billions! But it all happened! And all on the same day, when I just had renewed my decision! That's a bit thick! I' mean, can you believe that? I was really happy.

On Friday we met again with her sister and her boy-friend and we "made an agreement" :-) And just right now I got an e-Mail, that she's at Steyr this weekend and we could have the first spanish-lesson this weekend! Yeah! That's great! Uh, oh ... well I guess I should have a look at my spanish-course-notes and have to practice a little bit, to make an reasonably impression ... ;-)

Yes, that's it. And now the decision is up to you: Destiny or Happenstance? I don't bother, I'm just glad it went out this way!

For all of you, waiting for the climate-tables ... don't hasitate, I'm on my way - really! :-))

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