I accept

After several e-mails clarifying the offer of employment, I accepted the job in Blue Springs. I will start work on the first Monday of 2009.

I have mixed feelings about this.

First, the man that I was supposed to replace will now be my boss. Oh well, God is ultimately in control.

Second, the salary that I agreed to is 15% below what I had realistically hoped for. However, I don’t really have much leverage. They currently have two shifts working 32 hours per week in order to avoid any layoffs. Additionally, since I interviewed, they have also scheduled two unplanned (and unpaid) week long closures for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

It strikes me that this situation is almost a mirror image to the sale of our house earlier this year. Because of market conditions in California, I had to take MUCH less than I wanted to. After all of the work that I put into the house, it was painful.

To be honest, it felt more than a little emasculating to accept the offer, just like this does. There is a little voice that says that “if you were a REAL MAN, you would hold out until you get what you are really worth!” But that voice said the same thing in California. “If you were a REAL MAN, you would hold out until you get what this house is REALLY worth!”

What is anything REALLY worth? In the world of commerce, worth is determined by whatever someone is willing to pay for it.

For example, when gas was $2/gallon, a big SUV was becoming THE status symbol. With gas at $4/gallon, the dealers can’t give them away.

Look at the stock market. How can a company be “worth” $70 per share on Monday and $2 per share on Friday? Because no one who is willing to pay $70 for a share of stock in that company.

When I objectively looked at the sale of our house a few months later, I realized what had truly happened. First, I achieved my goal of moving to Kansas City. Second, my house sold in the midst of a COLLAPSING housing market! Just eight months later, the value of that house has dropped AT LEAST $100K!!!

If I objectively look at this situation, I am being hired in the midst of a COLLAPSING job market. Although my ego and expectations are taking a hard blow, I am grateful that I will be working. I am glad that someone thinks that I am WORTH hiring.