10 Comments

Nicely written and nicely said. thanks for the sharing. I think we’ll all see a bit of us in this. Good luck.

Change , adapt , survive . Not as easy as it sounds ,sometimes . Good luck in South
Yorkshire , hope things work out for the best .

Mark that is a tough decision. Please let us know your decision and best of luck with whatever you decide.

A tough decision indeed.
If family involve little ones, it will be even tougher.
My brother struggled with that and he still does. He is a family man and he feels miserable sometimes.

Good luck!

I feel for you Rennners. 15 years ago I was offered the job as production manager at one of the largest sail lofts in the US. Only problem was that the loft was in Connecticut. I live in Houston Texas. That turned out to be a 4-6 hrs. commute each way every two weeks. We thought it would work because my wife was going to retire from the aero-space industry with-in the year.
I took the job because I had always wanted to have the experience of making the larges sails in the world, and also for the money.
As plans go, things change. My son from a previous marriage, now living with us, went pear shaped during his final year in high school and my wife was not given the chance for early retirement. But I did get the chance to build the largest sails in the world.
I lasted 8 months.
Once back, I got my son unpear-shaped and all was good. I had to take a lesser paying job for a while, in the wood working industry, learning to use the CNC machines, similar to the sail cutting machines.
You do not have an easy choice. But only the best of luck to you, my friend.

Thomas.

I haven’t had a steady paycheck for 30 years. It often gets old Robbing Peter all the time.
Sometimes I wish I had a steady paying job, collect my check each week and leave my worries at work until I return. I’m not sure what is better, juggling money and having my freedom to do as I see fit, or collecting a paycheck and living off a budget, and doing what I’m told to do.
The facts are though that we have to pay bills and we have to do whatever it takes. Having a steady job is not always a bad thing. You can still woodwork on the side after you get comfortable. Good Luck in your choice, just don’t sell your tools…

Thanks guys, the tools are going nowhere. I’m not a bit down about this, there may even be the opportunity to refurbish a house while I’m over there and make some real money. The opportunities are just not here and won’t be for a couple of years. Something’s got to give, simple as that. I won’t be giving up on woodworking at all. Obviously it’ll take a while to get set up over there, but I’d like to get away from the pressure of making things for other people and concentrate on doing things that I want to design and make for myself for a while.

intention
priorities
checks & balances
passion
and one’s gifts at contributing to society…

It sounds like you have indeed made your choice and are quite comfortable with the decision!

Renners, I wish you the best of luck with your decision! It’s sad to see you have to make that choice. On the bright side, it sounds as if you really enjoyed your previous line of work, and would be going back to doing something else that you love. Again, good luck, and I look forward to seeing the projects you do for fun, rather than because you have to make a living!

wow…

I was a management consultant for 30 years: going into a company to either buy, sell, fix or start-up something; knowing that when it was accomplished, I’d be out of a job, looking for the next company to hire me on to do the same. This work is what I did, and what I was good at; and you build and perpetuate a skill that takes you further way – It was hardest on my wife and family: I’d be away for months, up-to a year, at a time. I don’t know how people do this, and stay sane.
Rennners, I wish you the very best success in whatever you decide – these are the loneliest decisions.
MJCD