My Day In The Zoot Suit

So today I had an interview at the place I left to come to my current job. They contacted me about a position they have open and I decided to go and hear what they had to say. I don't know how many of you have done something like this, but for me, it was almost surreal going back through the place after 3 1/2 years. I spent 14 years at the old place. I started there when it was a decent size company and when I left, after all the growing pains and the place had tripled in size, I didn't give it too much thought anymore. Just some of the people.

It looks the same, almost. There have been a lot of cosmetic changes (for the better) and I could still find my way around easily enough, but there is a lot missing too. Some departments that I had worked closely with for 14 years don't even exist anymore. Departments and department personnel. There is a new extension on the back of the place where a totally new product has been added. When I left the company this product was an experiment. Now it's fully into production with it's own brand new wing. The hallways and even the utility areas are clean and very professional looking. (That's a big change.) I was impressed.

I was a little sad too. A lot of the people I knew are no longer there now. There were some massive changes made and new talent required, so 'off with the old, on with the new' I guess. I did see a lot of old friends too. Some survived and it became like old home week for a little while.

It's funny how you can just take something for granted, like it will always be the same and then you find it's nothing like it was in your memory. In my head I always thought that if I didn't like my new job, I'd just go back to the old place and get started there again. That's never a sure thing with any job. But the naive little dope in my head had been convinced of it anyway.

Over all it was a really good day. I got a full tour of the 'new' place, got to talk shop with some really interesting people, got to see a bunch of old friends and got to have lunch with a very special friend afterward. I had such a good time that I almost forget it was an interview for a new job. How weird is that? Looking back on the day, I have to say that I don't really care about the job at all. It was just a lot of fun to be back in the old place and know that at least part of what I helped build into a successful company still survives. Somehow that's a bit of a comfort.