Howdy, everyone!
As my days with my current employer dwindle to single-digits, I've taken a little bit of time to look at the situation and assess where I am. Looking back over the past 30 or so years (damn, I'm getting old!), I've learned a lot of things, but the most important took a while to penetrate my thick skull. What would that be, you ask? The most important thing I've learned through the years is this: never sell yourself short.
Each of us posses some skill, knowledge, or talent that other people seek. When others search you out for your skills or talent, remind them of the following: A., they sought you out of the crowd; B., they understand you possess skills/knowledge/talent; and C., those skills/knowledge/talent come with a price tag and (at least for me) a set of standards that I will not compromise. Ever. You want me, you have to live by those principles, they are non-negotiable. And, here's the kicker: if you know the right people--those people who make the effort to seek you out because they know what you posses in the way of skills, knowledge, and talent, they fully and completely understand, because they live the same way.
So, why did that take me so long to figure out? It is my nature--I'm an introvert, more so than most. I don't like grandstanding or showboating. I figure that if I show you what I can do, that's good enough. Problem is, I live in a world where I see so many people who can, and I'm quoting here, use their "tongue prettier than a twenty dollar whore." In other words, they talk the talk and that's all they do. They know all the right words, they play the "fake it until you make it" game (which most fail miserably at), and they know how to schmooze. These are the idiots, given the proper audience, who climb the ladder on their co-worker's backs. Not me, that's not how I am programmed, that's not how I was raised.
For me, one of the most prized things anyone ever said about me was when I received my first Employee Evaluation with my current employer--the Service Manager who hired me only knew me by what he heard one of the local FAA inspectors (who worked with me before she joined the ranks of the FAA) say about me. When I interviewed, I told him that while I am an avionics technician, I understood that we had a small crew and that when there was no avionics work that I would assist wherever I was needed. I don't think he believed me, because at that first review he said, "You know, you have gone over and above what any other avionics man I know would have done." My answer to him? "Well, I told you from the beginning that I'd help out where I was needed. I wasn't telling you that to blow smoke and sunshine up you ass, I said it because I meant it." Being the good Marine that he is, he just smiled. What could he say?
Well, he was left speechless, but here's what I will say: Believe in yourself. If you do that, others will believe in you, too. Oh, and don't let the bastards wear you down. Those silver tongued geniuses usually wind up hanging by their own short rope...
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We had our monthly IPMS Chapter meeting last night, and we had a new member in attendance. As we usually do, we go around the room and introduce ourselves, what our areas of interest are, and greet the new person so they get a feel for the group. Last night, there was a little more--we all, in our own fashion, related to the new visitor why clubs are good. The first member who introduced himself said that he has not only gained new skills, his modeling has improved, and he's made a lot of friends. That sentiment went around the room. One of the group, a long-time member, said it better than I could have: "Some of my best friends, I met in this room." Amen to that. When I think about it, I've met most of the people that I consider my best friends through the hobby. Hey, I met my wife through the hobby! So, if you are one of those who don't dig the club scene because you have some preconceived notion of how clubs work, do yourself a favor. Drop the hostility and go to a meeting. You might just find out how much fun it is.
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With my upcoming "free time", I plan on getting back to the workbench between job hunting and whatever freelance work I might take on. My immediate goals are to finally finish the Macchi C.200 and the StuG IV. They've been hanging out far too long. After that, I plan on whittling the open project bins down to one or two, then embarking on some new adventures. Stay tuned...
Thanks for reading. Be good to one another, and I bid you Peace.
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