Decade

Firstly this is not about Duran Duran. Sorry Eddy, Paula and Bek.

Secondly [to completely change the subject] I don’t talk about work here...and won’t ever – I truly believe in separating work and home life – true work life balance - let alone now talking about people or work and getting in strife with HR – oh no not for me. I still won’t talk about work with the exception of this brief entry. So saying that I got to work this morning and received an email stating that I had been there for 10 years.

Shit.

I knew it was coming up but would you believe it I completely forgot the actual start date [well it was 10 years ago]. It’s funny how it happened. I moved to Melbourne a few years before and after working at a hotel for 6 months I then started working at a bank. I worked a 5 day week and then worked my weekend at the hotel for almost 3 years. The plan was to work as hard as possible to save money [for travel, rainy day stuff etc] but instead I managed to blow it all on...well...shit.

Well after working 6 sometimes 7 days a week it took it out of me...I had enough of both and applied for a new job – completely new field and industry [that will remain nameless - see above] and low and behold got it. That was October 11th 1999. In the last decade of the old millennium. I thought [after being at a hotel and bank for 3 years –my longest employers then to date] I would work there for 2 years or more then transfer to Sydney then move on [ at the time i had a lot of friends in Sydney and thought I would become another queen in the Harbour city].

Well that didn't happen did it.

Well what has happened since October 1999...[workwise]

10 years at the same employer also 10 years of a cash bonus [thankyou very much]
9 different managers [well at least]
8 different roles
7 Xmas party attendances [even I had to have a few years off]
6 actual different jobs
5 declined internal jobs
4 restructures
3 divisional moves and 3 different offices
2 secondments
1 management program
Countless workmates & work related piss ups

Its funny that’s all happened in 10 years – 30 years ago that might have happened over someone’s entire career[with the exception of the Xmas Party attendance]. Thank god I like my job, the people I work with and company I work for. And after receiving a nice gift and almost 2 and a half months off [hopefully for travel I missed out in my 20's as I spent my money on shit] to take sometime soon. Its so been worth it.

Then I realised...I have been working full time for almost 13 years [part time/casual for 8 years prior to that due to studies] and now as I’m 35 years old [I hate it when people usually over 50 call themselves x years young- you’re old you old fart no matter what age]...and now that retirement age in OZ will be at least 70 for my generation...I have another 35 years left of working life.

Shit.