Sadness booms softly

This has marked the first week in nearly three years that I have not counted myself as a Grant Thornton employee, and sadness has been heard booming since Monday.

As an explanation to the as-yet-uninitiated, contrary to common practice I contend that booming is best when understated.  A man who believes in his boom doesn't need to sell it with volume or other dramatic elements.  A confident man simply announces to the world that something went boom.  If people determine to doubt reality, what does that matter to him?

Booming softly, therefore, is a grand business full of flair in its understated simplicity.

Don't get me wrong, I do not regret my decision to leave the land of mobius and dynamism.  I chose the life less dynamic, and my comfort with that decision has only grown with time.  I did not, however, make the decision lightly, and it wasn't easy despite that it was a foregone conclusion (being with my wife comes before, well, anything else).  The simple fact of the matter is that one cannot have everything.  In choosing to leave Grant Thornton, I left behind a job and people I enjoyed, and I will likely never again work in a company of it's nature.

Public accounting has its perks.  Advancement and responsibility come quickly, training is prevalent, you get exposure to high levels of management, and you work with people who are very much of your age and general background.  It's also a decent investment in your career because companies value the experience.

In the end, though, unless you are a "lifer", (and there are some), it eventually becomes a case of "The Royal Nonesuch."  The hours and the stress are too high for the pay.  Everybody has one foot out the door but they lie about it because they don't want to be the only person who "gets had" by staying too long.

My new job is exciting... and challenging... and ends at roughly 5:00pm everyday.  I work for a large company in an industry I respect, there are perks, and I will continue to learn and grow.  Sadness definitely boomed softly when I saw that my email was jblack4, but the quirkiness of having a number in my email address is rather irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.

Relaxing at home may not be as dynamic as solving the world one financial statement audit at a time, but it's the life I choose.  I am happy to spend time with my wife and to have time for thinking deeply, even if such thinking is simply wistful memories of spending too much time in conference rooms with friends.