Who Moved My Cheese

A few years ago I was working as a program director for community center in the inner-city of Milwaukee. We went through a strategic planning process and in turn, realigned our services to better serve the needs of the community. Some jobs were lost and some were created. We gave everyone the opportunity to apply for every position they were qualified for. Everyone that was currently employed was offered a position and most of them were offered a pay increase. We knew there was going to be resistance from some of the employees, which is inherent anytime there's change. People just don't like change. So before we busted out the new service delivery model, our executive director supplied everyone with the book, "Who Moved My Cheese," and required them to read it. Personally, I think the book created more anxiety for some but there was a point to the book and some probably benefited. In the book, there were four characters who were mice searching for cheese; Sniff, Scurry, Hem and Haw. Each represents how we might deal with change when it comes. At the end of the book the author asked which one you are? We used to joke that I was actually the dude that moved the cheese.

Well, someone has now moved my cheese. I have moved six times in the past four years. This will now be seven. I thought I had a sweet hook-up. My landlord needed a person to watch his house while he was being deployed to Iraq. He's a high-ranking officer in the guards and was suppose to leave last September. He made choices to make that not happen. Now because of the situation he has put himself in with the Army, he has decided to look for a new job and put his house on the market.

What do you call a single guide? Homeless? Yep, that's me. Trying to find work, a boat, a place to live; I'll be honest, this off-season has been a little stressful. And it's amazing how one minute everything seems to be working out and then the insurance company, (State Farm,) decides to screw you, your boss spins out into severe depression because his 24 year old girlfriend breaks up with him so he stops working, (he was 49,) and your landlord/roommate loses his job because of a drunken stupor. A client of mine a few years ago told me my positive outlook on life would soon be squashed and I would turn into a cynical prick like him...I'm trying hard not to jump on that wagon.