On April 1st 2008 I made the move. I had worked in Virginia for 3 years and decided to transfer to the city of Baltimore. I really didn't decide, the decision was made for me. In other words, I refused and after being cussed out I agreed to do it. You see the company I work for encourages you to move around. The people that move up usually work at several locations. When I went to Baltimore I had no idea what I getting myself into. I had a beat up car, my wife had just begun going to school, and my daughter was very young.
You were crazy if you thought I was going to drive 1 hour each way to work. People still say that to me after doing it for almost 4 years. Prior to my transfer I only knew how to get to two locations in Baltimore, The Aquarium and the Immigration offices. I had visited Camden Yard on two occasions to tour the park but not for a game (not even after being there for the past 3 and half years) I was so comfortable in my previous location. We stayed busy, I had a large crew and our sales were great. All I had to do was "sit back" and take advantage of our great reputation. I was the equivalent of "unsigned hype" Anyone who was anyone knew who I was and wanted me on their team. My previous boss gave me a lot of responsibility and dropped my name when it mattered. I was a golden boy.
Suddenly one day my regional manager wants me to go help out a store in Baltimore. Even then I knew, but more so today I'm certain that Baltimore is a world apart from what I was accustomed to. They differ in so many ways. From the TV channels to radio stations to even fashion and slang. I wanted no part of it. When I pondered leaving Virginia, I had a manager position in mind. I wanted to go to a DC location and run things. Instead I get sent to "Siberia" I noticed very quickly that they had put me aside for later. When I was in Virginia I used to see the big wigs on a regular basis. Regional managers would call on us for favors all the time. It was almost a year after I went to Baltimore before I saw a regional manager again. They forgot about me. Out of sight out of mind like my golden boy status.
I went from being affiliated to a location that had clout to a location that stayed on the black list. Sales were lagging. We stayed mediocre. The regional manager would only come by when someone would ask him if he had been. Usually when he came by we would be looking rough. This did nothing for my reputation but worsen it. I fell into a rut and continued on for almost 3 years. Every time a new store would open I would fantasize about applying and leaving this career death trap. Once I even decided to try my luck at applying for a location that was due to open. I sent my regional manager a email asking him for permission to apply. At my level you don't just do things, you have to be allowed to do things. He asked my location manager if he thought I was ready. Wow, if I knew what was about to happen, I would have kept my mouth shut, or better yet my fingers silent. My location manager, to say the least, was not happy with my performance. The strange part was that in all the time I worked under him, he never had anything good or bad to say to me. I never got any feedback. Instead he waited for when it counted to be honest and further deminish my non existent reputation. I was so angry that I cried. It was so embarrassing, because I found out just before starting a closing shift. I'll never forget I was twisting sausage as huge tears ran down my cheeks.
After that incident I decided to give up trying to leave Baltimore. I figured two things were certain, I would either be fired or quit before it was all said and done. After a few more negative reviews on the appearance of our department from several regional managers, we decided it was time for a change. The team decided to buckle down and start paying attention to the details. Combined with pressure from our superiors and a few team member's dedication our marks started to improve. It not only showed in our reviews but in our sales. We suddenly began selling 10 grand more a week than 3 years before when I got there. The powers that be began to notice, we even earned an All-Star honorable mention. We suddenly became relevant again. "So and so came by last night, and said you guys looked great" It renewed the confidence in myself and in my team. We started doing everything right. Then the new location started hiring.
The new location is located on Eye St in Washington, DC. It's a 45 minute Metro ride. A 20 minute drive. I secretly decided that this would be my way out. I emailed my regional manager (again) and asked him for permission to apply (again) This time he emailed me back and told me if I had the support of my direct manager, the location manager and the regional manager that oversees our location, he would let me apply. The three party's all concurred that I was ready. Then I waited. I heard that the manager position had been filled for the new store. I was planning on applying for the assistant position. Then about a month later I get a phone call at work. It's my regional manager, and he tells me to contact a certain person about the job, if I was still interested. I emailed the person and waited, and never got a response. The HR person at my location notified me that the position I wanted was open and accepting applications. I never found the listing, then I heard it had closed. I shrugged and said "oh well" About a month after the initial call, my regional manager calls me again. This time he says I need to call the person who got the managers spot and set up an interview. I called him on a Tuesday, we met on a Wednesday. We scheduled a interview for the following Wednesday morning, and by Wednesday evening I was offered the position. I was so happy. Not only because I was going to a brand new location that is touted to be the new "it" location, also because I was finally leaving Baltimore.
That was yesterday. Now that it has all settled in, I'm realizing something. I'm not just leaving Baltimore, I'm also leaving a bunch of great people and close friends I've made over the years. I used think of Baltimore in a negative light, because I didn't want to be there. Now it feels like home. I've spent 1/3 of the last 3 and a half years there on my way there. I've learned how to get around. I've even had some fun there. I celebrated my birthday there last year. I even spent Thanksgiving there. Even got my feet done. Pit Beef, you gotta do it before you die. Non of that made me feel more at home then the people. I've made the most genuine friends I've ever known there. These folks actually cared. They gave me Christmas presents. If my dad was sick, they would ask about him. I forgot how rotten the commute was after a while. They will always be with me. You don't realize how much people touch your life until you leave. I thank my team for all their hard work and dedication. I thank my boss for the opportunity and trust. To my friends, you know who you are, much love and respect. Don't forget the kid and I got you... word!!
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