Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Long ago, in a galaxy far away...

When I first got back from Japan, many years ago, I wasn't sure what I was going to do next. I had felt called to be a missionary, and I loved my work. I really threw myself into teaching English and working at the small church where I served.

But when I returned to the United States, I needed a job.

I started working "temporary" at a small insurance office in my city. It was a very small branch of a large company; in fact, I believe there were just 5 of us in the office when I started.

I worked as an assistant for a woman who was selling basically two kinds of insurance: Directors and Officers Insurance for large corporations, and Errors and Omissions Insurance for Professionals. I started as a clerk, and eventually became what is known as an "underwriting assistant."

I started to handle more and more of the responsibilities until my boss left to take a position at a well-known brokerage. Then those in the regional office in Chicago discovered just how much I had been doing.

I got a nice raise, and a promotion. I got training in the regional office in Chicago, and more training in their national headquarters in lower Manhattan. We went out for dinner, dancing and fun almost every night.

The company also told me that they would like me to consider another promotion, which would take me to Chicago. This was just about the same time that I started to wrestle with the possibility that I might be called to ordained ministry.

The move to Chicago sounded interesting, and of course it was flattering to be considered to be on the fast-track in a field that, to be honest with you, bored me to death. In the end, seminary won.

Oh, and the name of the insurance company that I worked for many years ago?


I'm very interested in what will happen in the next days....

9 comments:

Chris Duckworth said...

Great story! I certainly hope those former co-workers of yours fare well in the coming days . . .

Terri said...

wow...life offers us some interesting twists and turns of "fate" or ah, grace....

Ruth Hull Chatlien said...

I hope that no one you know suffers too much from the financial uphevals.

Jan said...

Weird. What a connection to what is happening right now.

Choralgrrl said...

Girl, we need to talk about this sometime! I, too, was working for an insurance company when seminary beckoned. Weird.

Or is it that we can only figure out what to render to God after spending some time busily rendering unto Caesar and trying to stay awake? :-)

Barbara B. said...

wow, yes, interesting!!!

Lori said...

Wow, what could have been. Ditto Ruth, hoping everyone there can dodge this bullet.

Lindy said...

I have a feeling that in the end all of us will feel the AIG pain. Most of all the poor. For some of us there will be an immediate loss of income. But the impact will extend to the whole economy, if not the world.

We are reaping what we've sown... and teh poor will pay for it.

zorra said...

Wow. Life is strange...

...and apropos of nothing, what a nice birthday you will have next spring...in sunny AZ with many fine folks...just sayin'.

:)