Should I Be Offended?
Almost five years ago, I took a job in the budget office of the Long Island Rail Road when I wanted to transition from transportation planning to transportation financing. It was a stepping stone while I got my MBA, and the plan was not to be there for as long as I have.
As it often turns out, the reality is different from the plan. School was too demanding for me to devote time to a job search, too, and over a year ago, a promotional opportunity presented itself. By the time the promotion came through, it was close enough to when my pension will vest that it makes no sense to leave now.
It's no secret of my intention eventually to leave, yet some people in the office are skeptical that I will leave when the time is right. This past week, talk in the lunch room for some reason turned to me - I wasn't there - with one person saying that I would never leave.
When I and others got wind of this, I wasn't offended, yet the others were. One person thought about this over night and came back to me the next day to talk about it. Someone else was surprised to see me having a friendly conversation with the person who made the comment, as though he had committed some sin.
My attitude is simply that he's wrong. If that's enough for me, it should be enough for everyone else, shouldn't it?