For the sake of chronicling my journey, it would be wrong to leave out something about my early software development career. It was quite a whisk of a journey, starting with small businesses and ending up at CompuServe when they were Top Dogs in the Online market, before the World-Wide-Web. I often think about that job and grieve a little. The company itself was absorbed into Dunn & Bradstreet soon after I left. I’m sure there were some good moves for my former workmates. My disability had taken me out by then. But the years before were a blast. I thank the Navy for allowing me to get that education. After my 4 years at sea, I came home to pursue a plan.
Having the GI Bill to use, I went to school after my honorable discharge and majored in Music for a year. I wish I’d taken a more music central journey from day one, even the Navy, but that wasn’t to be. Anyway, being driven to be a “responsible parent”, per the plan, I switched to computer science the next year. I happened to have a professor who was also building a new business in the community. When I finished my work weeks ahead of the next student in the class, he hired me, and off I went. A year and a half in the industry under him and I was a solid player. His business, however, didn’t make it and so I spent my next few years in spinoffs from that first company. i learned a lot working solo or with one other person I tried to start my own business, but I couldn’t handle all the hats.
I decided to find a bigger company to work for. I wanted to find the best job in Tampa, and I found a headhunter for Collier-Jackson who had placed several there. They were a fortune 500 Company with little turnover, and known to be leading edge. It took three attempts before I landed a job there. Once in, I excelled at the job. I ended up working in almost all departments at one time or another, presenting at trade shows, traveling the country to give 2-day classes, and consulting services. The company was purchased by CompuServe back when they were the number one online service.
We were a top vendor at HP and Digital Computer Equipment shows. I did a stint providing support for Marketing at trade shows and won accolades by salesmen for giving our products, as they stated, ‘technical credibility’ when I met with a customers technical people. They felt I helped their sales. As a result, I won CompuServe’s Spotlight of the Year award, of which 16 others from across the company did as well. The awards ceremony was entertained by Blood, Sweat & Tears and I was treated royally. What an adventure. I digress.
I visited Boston several times, Tennessee, Michigan, Ohio, Delaware, Georgia, New York, New Jersey, San Jose, San Diego, and LA, Portland, Ore,, Baltimore, Washington, DC, Dallas, Denver, Staten Island, North Carolina, New Orleans, Connecticut, and more. I worked with Newspapers, Robotics Companies, A company that makes the pointy end of a nuclear missile, health care equipment, etc and all sorts of business. I worked with HR software, accounting software, specialized software. I ended up in the R&D department and was considered one of three go-to guys that many other employees would tap for help or knowledge.
When I started the company was a minicomputer company. Microsoft was going strong, windows was now out and we wanted a leg in. I got to do one of two first projects that ventured into that realm. The project I wrote, as a user reporting program, led the sale of expensive, minicomputer software until the entire company went Microsoft. I was certified as a Microsoft Certified Solution Developer, a big certification, early in the program. I was confident, knowledgeable, leading-edge.
I had 4 weeks a year vacation, lots of sick time since I never took any, and then suddenly, I fell through a ceiling and it all changed. It took a year and a half to fade away from the job. My pain syndrome, invisible, but intense and unrelenting, 24 hours a day was literally preventing me from sleeping at night. I looked fine, but was doing half the job. My ratings went down, my endurace was wearing, my exhaustion increase more with every sleepless night. Its the kind of pain that you can’t ignore, it’s to everepresent, it’s forceful.
I made the mistake of mentioning it to my CEO who was not sympathetic. His suggestion: “Take a pill.” Those were the last words he ever spoke to me. I faded away over the next few months. Que Sera.
If i had a voodoo doll, I wouldn’t hit many people. I would hit him and a few doctors to ‘feel my pain’ for a few days. It is truly extraordinary and hard to understand, You have to expend some effort to understand. For me, it’s truly constant.
The rest of this blog talks about since then.
Brains & Music 