Movin' On UP

Going Full Circle

This is it! The last Hoo-Rah! After working for our fine municipality in various capacities for nearly 20 years, I am finally going to walk through the door the last time as an employee, Friday, July 15th.

It makes me feel a little triumphant.
It makes me feel a little overwhelmed.
It makes me feel a little sad.

I came to work here part-time as the secretary to the City Engineer/Director of Public Works. I quickly fell into step and right away felt like I had come home. I loved working for Bill Rieger who retired and who we unfortunately had to say a final farewell to. Bill treated me well, taught me a lot and when I had opportunities to advance beyond the part time job, he was a tremendous encouragement to me.

I began working in the Assessing Department in 1989 and have been here ever since. I started as the Office Manager, became the property appraiser and finally the Assessor. When I retired on 12/31/2003, I returned to the City in an advisory capacity and worked only 15 hours a week. Unfortunately, like many small cities, our revenues are down and the budget had to be cut and my part time position has finally run out of funding.

Each day I have been bagging up the accumulated junk on my desk and walls (I have a tremendous display of postcards mailed to me from friends around the world,(http://anniefay.net/2004/09/for-my-litkicks-pals-and-other-friends.html) a lot of cds, photographs, candles, and just junk. But it is time to put this part of my life in a box and strap it down with sealing tape; opening only when I need a delightful moment to remember.

I have made fabulous friends, worked in an environment that I enjoyed and had a heavy but challenging work load. Yep, I am going to miss all of that.

But then it is also true that in another respect I am Movin’ on Up! I had felt since the budget for this department was settled last year and I learned that they were only going to be able to budget my salary for ½ of this year, that unless something happened I’d be looking for another part time job some place. Entering the job market at age 63 is not something I was looking forward to. With each prayer I had gotten an assurance that God was looking after me and that I did not have a thing to worry about. I even had a sense that I knew exactly which job I would be doing.

I, of course, put it all down to fanciful thinking, took deep breaths and decided to just “wait and see” because I am rather a “show me and I’ll believe it” kind of girl. Besides I knew there were no vacancies in that particular job market. I thought something would turn up with the City and they’d come up with money from somewhere to keep me around. But time began to tick down and it looked like I’d better rewrite my resume.

Then my pastor approached me one evening and asked if I’d be able to help out in the church office. One of their staff members would be leaving for full time work and they needed someone to help them out. The catch. It was to be volunteer work (uh, that means you don’t actually get paid for it) just one afternoon a week. But I said sure, if I could help, Id be glad to. That was about 6 weeks ago… and then about 2 weeks ago my pastor approached me again. The office secretary had accepted full time work and would be leaving soon. Was I interested in applying for her position (this time I would be paid).

I said sure… and went through the application process and the interview. Then Sunday I was told that the Church Board had voted to hire me as the new secretary. And now I have begun working for the church in the mornings and coming to finish up my last minute tasks in the afternoons for the City.

I am still a little in awe of this entire experience. The City’s budget was to take me through July 15th. The position I was to fill was vacated on Friday July 8th. How everything dove-tailed together. Actually, I guess nothing is really strange when God is directing the events.

God did look out for me. I have a different kind of challenge in front of me and I am sure that I am going to feel at home in this new job also. And yes, this is exactly the position I felt I would eventually work in the day I handed in my resignation and officially retired as the City Assessor about 18 months ago.

There is not doubt about it... even for a "show me" kind of girl. God is faithful. Right now… I just feel well loved and taken care of by my Heavenly Father. I am very thankful.