View Full Version : Boss said NO!
This about sums it up.....
14712
4eyedbuzzard
12-31-2011, 21:55
I remember that - her daughter read her blog but she didn't mind and they went on a shakedown hike and were almost raped and killed or something.....Yep. That was her. A real prize.
Blue Jay
01-01-2012, 12:50
Typical question: Hi! I'm a single mom with 3 children all under 5 years old. I'm unemployed, but am able to get by with food stamps, welfare, and unemployment. I have no family in the area, and my ex has disappeared 3 months ago when we found out I was pregnant again. Needless to say, no support check from him! I'm at my wits end and saw a tv show on PBS last week about the Appalachian Trail. I went hiking once and really liked it! So now I want to do a thru hike!!! And last nite I hit the Pic 4 Lotto and have $5,000!!! What should I do?
Typical WBer answer: With $5,000 you can buy your gear and have enough money left over to do your hike. Since you are 3 months pregnant you should plan on finishing your hike in 5 months...this is totally doable if you don't spend a lot of time in town! Thru hiking is the most important thing you can do in your life and you need to start putting yourself first! If you don't hike you may die during childbirth and will regret it forever!! Winning the Lotto is a sign from above that you need to hike!
Hysterical, you nailed that one.
Blue Jay
01-01-2012, 12:56
A thought originally witten by a man born into priviledge, a man who in Hawthorne's words, "repudiated all regular modes of getting a living", neither married nor had children, and lived his entire life predominantly in other people's homes. Thoreau was a thought provoking essayist - but he would have made a lousy parent or provider. In my experience, those most contemptuous of a life that requires earning money in order to pay bills, support a family, etc, are people who either don't have family responsibilities or are born into priviledge.
You are correct on all counts. The only thing you left out is that family responsibilities are a clear life choice, often made with no thought at all. This leads to the quiet despiration.
4eyedbuzzard
01-01-2012, 12:56
This about sums it up.....
14712I disagree.
ChinMusic
01-01-2012, 22:35
Typical question: Hi! I'm a single mom with 3 children all under 5 years old. I'm unemployed, but am able to get by with food stamps, welfare, and unemployment. I have no family in the area, and my ex has disappeared 3 months ago when we found out I was pregnant again. Needless to say, no support check from him! I'm at my wits end and saw a tv show on PBS last week about the Appalachian Trail. I went hiking once and really liked it! So now I want to do a thru hike!!! And last nite I hit the Pic 4 Lotto and have $5,000!!! What should I do?
Typical WBer answer: With $5,000 you can buy your gear and have enough money left over to do your hike. Since you are 3 months pregnant you should plan on finishing your hike in 5 months...this is totally doable if you don't spend a lot of time in town! Thru hiking is the most important thing you can do in your life and you need to start putting yourself first! If you don't hike you may die during childbirth and will regret it forever!! Winning the Lotto is a sign from above that you need to hike!
I just got home from a backpacking trip and let out a sigh when I saw this thread still going "strong". I clicked on it, against my better judgement, and am glad I did. Your post is an absolute CLASSIC.
Thank you..............
I just got home from a backpacking trip and let out a sigh when I saw this thread still going "strong". I clicked on it, against my better judgement, and am glad I did. Your post is an absolute CLASSIC.
Thank you..............
You actually went hiking? Imagine.....
Max Patch's response was spot on.
I disagree.
You would.... :)
Made the decision last July to hike in 2012 and started saving money bit by bit. Told my boss in September that I would be resigning in March to do my hike. A week later he tells me he spoke with the agency director and they're willing to give me a leave of absence and hold my position for me. This means medical insurance on the trail along with close to a month and a half of vacation pay while on the trail. Instant karma's gonna get you! Now I've just got to manage not to break a leg between now and the end of March! Hehe
Made the decision last July to hike in 2012 and started saving money bit by bit. Told my boss in September that I would be resigning in March to do my hike. A week later he tells me he spoke with the agency director and they're willing to give me a leave of absence and hold my position for me. This means medical insurance on the trail along with close to a month and a half of vacation pay while on the trail. Instant karma's gonna get you! Now I've just got to manage not to break a leg between now and the end of March! Hehe
That's excellent.
Your post is an absolute CLASSIC.
.
And a huge exaggeration.
I've been spending too much time on here lately bickering about a bunch of stuff that means nothing.
I think it's time for a short break or to just stick with questions/answers that concern hiking.
ChinMusic
01-02-2012, 00:59
And a huge exaggeration.
Huge? Nah. Minor? Maybe
Huge? Nah. Minor? Maybe
Yeah, because we all know the trail is full of three month pregnant women with kids on welfare that just so happen to hit the lottery.
I mean if you don't mind trailer trash it's a perfect place to find a woman.
The reason I liked Max Patch's comment so well was not because it's literally true (it wasn't meant to be) but because it drives home the point that many of us believe that WB members advise potential hikers to do things that may not be in their best interest and affect other people - like children - just to go hike on the AT.
I know everybody doesn't think that way or agree and I do not ever expect everyone will because for some people hiking or just dropping everything to "chase a dream" is top priority.
Chaco Taco
01-02-2012, 08:23
265? Really ya'll?
265? Really ya'll?
Hey... people thought the sun revolved around the earth a lot longer.... :)
hikerboy57
01-02-2012, 08:28
The reason I liked Max Patch's comment so well was not because it's literally true (it wasn't meant to be) but because it drives home the point that many of us believe that WB members advise potential hikers to do things that may not be in their best interest and affect other people - like children - just to go hike on the AT.
I know everybody doesn't think that way or agree and I do not ever expect everyone will because for some people hiking or just dropping everything to "chase a dream" is top priority.you know, we use this expression HYOH to death here, and yet its also an allegory for life.we each choose our own path in life. ive made some really poor decisions , and ive made some really good ones. its up to each one of us to figure out our own goal, and there are sometimes moments of "quiet desperation" when omne might feel, regardless of circumstance,"this is something i have to do and i have to do it now." my brother in law commited suicide last summer ,living a lie, "trapped " in a life he never wanted , but circumstance pushed him in a direction that "seemed right". the right car, the right house, the investment banking job, he had gotten so far away from who he really was, he found no way out but to put a bullet in his head.somew 15 years ago, i could have easily seen myself in the same position, but i made a differeent choice, to change my life.given the choice, i think i would rather "take a time out", go hike for 6 months and try to figure it all out again.remarkably, ive never heard one thru say to another,"what are you crazy? you left your wife and kids to go hike?"
HYOH,,, on and off the trail.
blue blaze, yellow blaze, whatever, its the journey, not the destination.
Chaco Taco
01-02-2012, 08:31
Hey... people thought the sun revolved around the earth a lot longer.... :)
I forgot the dead horses usually arrive in winter on WB :cool:
4eyedbuzzard
01-02-2012, 08:59
Made the decision last July to hike in 2012 and started saving money bit by bit. Told my boss in September that I would be resigning in March to do my hike. A week later he tells me he spoke with the agency director and they're willing to give me a leave of absence and hold my position for me. This means medical insurance on the trail along with close to a month and a half of vacation pay while on the trail. Instant karma's gonna get you! Now I've just got to manage not to break a leg between now and the end of March! HeheWow. Any openings in your agency? ;) Seriously though, that is great for you. Enjoy your hike.
4eyedbuzzard
01-02-2012, 09:04
265? Really ya'll?It's got legs.
14734
hikerboy57
01-02-2012, 09:17
itll be great to find out the OP finished his thru before this thread shuts down.
Bottom line, weigh out your options. If you can survive financially and the prospect of being jobless is not an issue then go for it. If the cost outweighs the benefit then you may have to make other plans. I lived quite the nomadic "throw it all in the back of the truck" life for many years prior to settling into the marriage/house/kids/career path mode and do not question the choices I have made. Right now, I can't justify taking the time for a through hike, so I am doing the trail the first time as a section hiker. Once the kids are out of the house and our financial picture changes, the option of a through hike will become more viable.
Once the kids are out of the house and our financial picture changes, the option of a through hike will become more viable.
Blasphemy!!!!!!!
The reason I liked Max Patch's comment so well was not because it's literally true (it wasn't meant to be) but because it drives home the point that many of us believe that WB members advise potential hikers to do things that may not be in their best interest and affect other people - like children - just to go hike on the AT.
I know everybody doesn't think that way or agree and I do not ever expect everyone will because for some people hiking or just dropping everything to "chase a dream" is top priority.
I doubt a thru-hike by one of the parents is seriously going to negatively affect children. As I stated earlier, there are ways to get the kids positively involved from home, to make if fun and educational. If the spouse is encouraging and willing to let the other go hike who are we to disagree?
4eyedbuzzard
01-02-2012, 15:45
I doubt a thru-hike by one of the parents is seriously going to negatively affect children. As I stated earlier, there are ways to get the kids positively involved from home, to make if fun and educational. If the spouse is encouraging and willing to let the other go hike who are we to disagree?I don't think a parent taking a thru-hike hurts children either - if the parent has 6 months income in reserve AND a job to return to.
I doubt a thru-hike by one of the parents is seriously going to negatively affect children. As I stated earlier, there are ways to get the kids positively involved from home, to make if fun and educational. If the spouse is encouraging and willing to let the other go hike who are we to disagree?
Man I think that would be awesome. Maybe even visit them on the trail somewhere and hike together a while.
Where it gets bad is when the guy quits his job in late career and leaves two college age children and the wife at home while he goes hiking.
When he could retire in a few years and hike his butt off with his obligations taken care of.
Remember, the whole twist to this is that the OP would be able to do a thru in a few years without quitting his career. The reason he is supposed to quit his job with benefits now to go hiking now is because he might die or become disabled within the next few years.
And to make it even other-worldy bizarre he can section hike each year until then with no problem. But that's not enough.
Ounce for ounce there's more bad advice in this thread than any I've seen in a long time.
Always, if you want to work for a social service agency for very little money and work with sometimes aggressive and troubled clients! Haha, I had mixed feelings when they offered to hold my position for me! Nah, I love my job most of the time. It'll actually be strange to be away from my clients! Less than 3 months to go!
Sarcasm the elf
01-02-2012, 17:03
Ounce for ounce there's more bad advice in this thread than any I've seen in a long time.I assume you haven't read through the "Dogs on the Appalachian Trail" forum recently...
hikerboy57
01-02-2012, 17:14
im not sure i understand. theres never been bad advice given on WB, at least, not in the mind of the giver.quit. hike . you might die in the next 5 minutes.a selfish, indulgent pursuit trumps anything important in life.
isnt it ironic that death always seems to come at the end of ones life?
im not sure i understand. theres never been bad advice given on WB, at least, not in the mind of the giver.quit. hike . you might die in the next 5 minutes.a selfish, indulgent pursuit trumps anything important in life.
isnt it ironic that death always seems to come at the end of ones life?but they tell us, if you die while hiking, you'll be doing what you love as you violently gasp for that last, lonely breath.
nitewalker
01-02-2012, 22:48
I've been spending too much time on here lately bickering about a bunch of stuff that means nothing.
I think it's time for a short break or to just stick with questions/answers that concern hiking.
thats exactly why i droped out of this thread. im in south carolina right now and will be droping my son off at fort jackson tomorrow morning and then i am off to florida to do some HIKING, IMAGINE THAT....
but they tell us, if you die while hiking, you'll be doing what you love as you violently gasp for that last, lonely breath.
I don't want to die young doing something I love. I'd rather die old, doing something I hate.
thats exactly why i droped out of this thread. im in south carolina right now and will be droping my son off at fort jackson tomorrow morning and then i am off to florida to do some HIKING, IMAGINE THAT....
Good for you, I'm envious though FINALLY this weekend I'll get to hike the hike I haven't been able to get to for various reasons.
Let me ask you... Have you ever heard anyone say they wished they'd hiked the AT while they were on their deathbed? I seriously doubt it.
Have you ever heard anyone say they wished they'd treated their family better, showed their love more, etc.? Odds are better you've heard this one.
(I have some hospice experience myself.......)
No, but I heard people say that they wished they chased their dreams instead of doing what others wanted/expected of them.
My whole point of being in this thread is that no one should try to convince someone to postpone their dreams b/c of what others expect. If the OP's dream is to hike the AT, he should go for it. If his dream is to start an ice cream shop, he should go for it. If his dream is to do 50,000 jumping jacks, he should go for it. Everything else is just BS and takes away from his dreams. It's OK to dream. It's OK to fail. But to play it safe and never take the big leap will just eat away at you. You said it yourself. You are big on responsibility. There's nothing wrong with that. But don't assume or pretend that what you think is right is good for everyone, because it's not.
Now if you said, "I'm big on responsibility, I wouldn't do it. Here's what I would do..." that's one thing. But you haven't said anything like that. You have said repeatedly not to quit a job just to hike the trail.
Where it gets bad is when the guy quits his job in late career and leaves two college age children and the wife at home while he goes hiking.
When he could retire in a few years and hike his butt off with his obligations taken care of.
Remember, the whole twist to this is that the OP would be able to do a thru in a few years without quitting his career. The reason he is supposed to quit his job with benefits now to go hiking now is because he might die or become disabled within the next few years.
And to make it even other-worldy bizarre he can section hike each year until then with no problem. But that's not enough.
Ounce for ounce there's more bad advice in this thread than any I've seen in a long time.
I thought this was the land of self-reliance? College age "kids" are legal adults perfectly capable of providing for themselves. After retirement are your "obligations" over? What's the difference from leaving your wife to go hiking at 40 or 65?
It seems to me people become reliant and what's worse complacent in their careers, when companies would fire employees in a heartbeat if it helped the bottom line.
I know more than several professionals that quit their jobs, and sold their processions, to go hiking only to start over after their thru-hike. It can be done. The topic certainly isn't limited to wait until you retire or your kids are finished college, or any other suggestion in this thread. None of the opinions expressed are necessarily bad advice.
yessir...
there is probably not a right or wrong answer....
though one is most likely a better answer!!!
You KNOW the answer:eek:- but...
is that the choice you will make?
Rwood left this thread almost two weeks ago!
( Maybe he went hiking somwhere in the south(Florida Trail)!!!
I hear a lot of self proclaimed "Bosses" telling Rwood and others how wrong it is to give up his job and to be more responsible.
The truth is, there are two sides to the coin.
The "Bosses", (terrible connotation), may or may not have the ability to take off and may well be just a little jealous of the person who can do that and come back to a similar level of pay without waiting years and years to fullfill a dream...
There is a certain freedom in not having to worry about your employees and your business , if you are an employee rather than an employer.
The guy ( Rwood), never mentioned what line of work he was in so it is extremely hard to judge his possible chances when he returns from the trail.
As far as commitments, he did say that he had the blessing of his wife.
And there is a lot of truth in the fact that he may only be gone a month or two and then wipe out - the stats prove it.
So I would ask for two to three months and go from there.
The world of work , just like the Trail, will still be there when he returns.
In the meantime, talk with other employers and introduce yourself.
Where's the harm in it?
It is still a few months before a thru-hiker needs to hit the trail(AT)
Still lots of options out there, certainly not a 'Black and White' issue.
Hope you get to go Rwood !
Blue Jay
01-03-2012, 07:35
I don't want to die young doing something I love. I'd rather die old, doing something I hate.
If you are trying to be funny it's common to give some indication, like the dancing banana or something at least.
hikerboy57
01-03-2012, 08:12
If you are trying to be funny it's common to give some indication, like the dancing banana or something at least.i agree with 10k with or without the dancing banana.everyone is different though, and you have to know in your heart that you're making the right decision. if you're a father, you have to weigh a lot of factors,and many times you need to postpone the chasing of this "dream."when you become a father, you assume that responsibility, and nothing should come before that responsibility. nothing, even chasing ones "dream."Im surprised so many that have weighed in here dont understand that. I do beleive in living ones dreams, not chasing them.but its up to that oparticular individual to weigh all the factors carefully to ensure the long term happiness of the family, and in some cases, the best thing to do will be to hike.its up to the father to determine whether his kids and wife will be okay both while hes on the trail and when he comes off it as well.but when he became a father, he was living his dream, and i hope he still is.
no dancing banana.
I can see this is going nowhere.
4eyedbuzzard
01-03-2012, 09:49
I can see this is going nowhere.Yeah it is - it's been easy trail - pretty much downhill all the way :banana [Banana added to indicate humor]
Pedaling Fool
01-03-2012, 09:55
....................I see you do this a lot, what's up with that:confused:
Blue Jay
01-03-2012, 09:55
Yeah it is - it's been easy trail - pretty much downhill all the way :banana [Banana added to indicate humor]
Not all the way, it almost made a dozen posts until it slid into the bushes. :banana
4eyedbuzzard
01-03-2012, 10:02
I see you do this a lot, what's up with that:confused:He sees dead threads.
nitewalker
01-03-2012, 10:25
i figure this is worth a listen considering this thread has legs....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=YwwJzNzRAZQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=YwwJzNzRAZQ)
I see you do this a lot, what's up with that:confused:
Just trying to maintain a level of civility. People are who they are and have a right to be that way, no matter what I think. Sometimes what I really think escapes from my keyboard and I just nuke it.
Yeah it is - it's been easy trail - pretty much downhill all the way :banana [Banana added to indicate humor]
Yes, don't forget the banana.
Pedaling Fool
01-03-2012, 11:30
Just trying to maintain a level of civility. People are who they are and have a right to be that way, no matter what I think. Sometimes what I really think escapes from my keyboard and I just nuke it.I understand. I have enough problems pissing people off with cold stark facts, don't need to invoke my emotional outbursts, which I try very hard not to do because just the facts evoke enough bitterness; I don't want to deal with the highly emotional responses:D
ChinMusic
01-03-2012, 11:31
I've just been too busy weekend hiking and taking care of my family to stay too involved in this thread.
beakerman
01-03-2012, 12:31
I thought this was the land of self-reliance? College age "kids" are legal adults perfectly capable of providing for themselves. After retirement are your "obligations" over? What's the difference from leaving your wife to go hiking at 40 or 65?
It seems to me people become reliant and what's worse complacent in their careers, when companies would fire employees in a heartbeat if it helped the bottom line.
I know more than several professionals that quit their jobs, and sold their processions, to go hiking only to start over after their thru-hike. It can be done. The topic certainly isn't limited to wait until you retire or your kids are finished college, or any other suggestion in this thread. None of the opinions expressed are necessarily bad advice.
The OP may well have made his choice and since left this thread but I'll toss my 2 cents in...its just as valid as anyone elses at this point...
Given the OP asked for time off to hike and he is aware quitting would have severe repercusions for his retirement it seems to me his priorities are in the future obligations column. Y'all need to read what people type and try to understand what they are saying. If you read the post he's complaining not asking advice.
As for how I lok at this situation: I agree with the stay put and do all the hiking you want when you retire crowd because statistics are on that side. The vast majority of us will live long past our means to financially support ourselves and thanks to medical science will more likely than not be in pretty good shape if we don't abuse ourselves too much along the way. The fact that the OP sees value in not being too much of a burden on his kids is admirable.
The "you might die this afternoon" logic, aside from promoting an abdication of responsibility, is simply asserting your own desires into a situation that you have no stake in, both of which inherinetly makes it bad advice.
I do agree with your point about company loyalty. I don't think anyone should stay in a job because they feel they owe the company something. That has been a oneway street since the beginning of the concept of employment.
Now if you said, "I'm big on responsibility, I wouldn't do it. Here's what I would do..." that's one thing. But you haven't said anything like that. You have said repeatedly not to quit a job just to hike the trail.
This is not true.
I have never said "Don't quit a job just to hike the trail."
I have even said several times that there are times in life when doing what you want to do trumps everything else.
What I *have* repeatedly stressed is:
Quitting a job with benefits in late career while you have a wife and family to hike the AT right now when you could wait a couple of years, retire and hike with abandon is a bad decision.
I stand by that.
And to make it an even worse decision the guy said he could section hike until then.
And to make it what even is (to me) a *stupid* decision is that he should do it because he might die or become disabled within the next few years without being able to hike the AT.
My guess is that the great majority of those suggesting he quit his career have never had one. Not everyone. But probably the majority.
My second guess is that they also make up a good chunk of the ones trying to hike the AT with $1500.....
Wow! Over 10,000 views! I'm impressed.
Live_for_hiking
05-19-2012, 12:41
If I had a family and significant financial obligations ... I would not take 5-7 months off.
Most Americans live pay-check to pay-check. Even those in 500K+ homes. The amount of stress that would be placed on other people in the family due to one person choosing to pursue the trail would be in appropriate.
I think it takes a lot of planning, forethought, preparation and a change in long-term life style to be able to have a family and take time off to do something like the AT.
I hope the current global financial situation will lead people to not want to keep up with the "Jones's". It's a matter of priorities. Is that 500K home worth being indentured to your job and mortgage? Do you NEED that luxury car? Is that immediate gratification purchase worth the loss in present-future value of investing that money? I can speak from experience ... I woke up! That financial reawakening and planning is the only reason I am able to resign and hike the AT. It is the reason why I know I can work almost anywhere and be financially secure. It is the reason why I no longer worry about budgets, my future, staying at jobs I dislike, etc. Live simply.
I guess I'm saying that I commend the OP for doing the right thing and staying with the job. I hope this is one more piece of evidence that will help him and his family free themselves from bank-indentured service and start to live their lives on their own terms.
OK, I'll get off my soap-box.
rocketsocks
05-19-2012, 18:13
If I had a family and significant financial obligations ... I would not take 5-7 months off.
Most Americans live pay-check to pay-check. Even those in 500K+ homes. The amount of stress that would be placed on other people in the family due to one person choosing to pursue the trail would be in appropriate.
I think it takes a lot of planning, forethought, preparation and a change in long-term life style to be able to have a family and take time off to do something like the AT.
I hope the current global financial situation will lead people to not want to keep up with the "Jones's". It's a matter of priorities. Is that 500K home worth being indentured to your job and mortgage? Do you NEED that luxury car? Is that immediate gratification purchase worth the loss in present-future value of investing that money? I can speak from experience ... I woke up! That financial reawakening and planning is the only reason I am able to resign and hike the AT. It is the reason why I know I can work almost anywhere and be financially secure. It is the reason why I no longer worry about budgets, my future, staying at jobs I dislike, etc. Live simply.
I guess I'm saying that I commend the OP for doing the right thing and staying with the job. I hope this is one more piece of evidence that will help him and his family free themselves from bank-indentured service and start to live their lives on their own terms.
OK, I'll get off my soap-box.I don't give a rats patuttie what anybody does,quit your job,sip and go naked,whatever,no one cares,this thread deserves a very big....
Who's your daddy:banana Who's your daddy
Creek Dancer
07-12-2012, 08:11
Spam alert!
I would need a "MULTI -AXIS MOTION CONTROLLER" when my wife got through with me if I quit my job to go hiking.
coach lou
07-12-2012, 08:53
I would need a "MULTI -AXIS MOTION CONTROLLER" when my wife got through with me if I quit my job to go hiking.
Can I get a shuttle out of Bangalore? Also, would my elephant be considered a pack animal?
hikerboy57
07-12-2012, 08:57
how much does it weigh?will it work with a hammock?
how much does it weigh?will it work with a hammock?
No, but it will work with a Sawyer in-line water filter.
(for about 300 years....)
coach lou
07-12-2012, 08:59
The controller or the elephant?
hikerboy57
07-12-2012, 09:03
will the cnc work with a multi tool?how much does it weigh?
WingedMonkey
07-12-2012, 09:39
It's a sad day when spam can give people something to post about........what color pack do you need to hike the AT?
coach lou
07-12-2012, 09:55
It's a sad day when spam can give people something to post about........what color pack do you need to hike the AT?
Fuchia....................... and even sadder when we can't laugh with each other:D
WingedMonkey
07-12-2012, 10:00
even sadder when we can't laugh with each other:D
I thought that was what all the rambling on the "can't we all get along " thread was for.
So you could laugh at each other.
coach lou
07-12-2012, 10:03
I thought that was what all the rambling on the "can't we all get along " thread was for.
So you could laugh at each other.
Friends laugh WITH each other.
Hairbear
09-11-2012, 17:53
There are always shorter trips. Maybe they'd go for a month's leave. If you already have 2 weeks or more in vacation time lined up, then a month isn't much of a streach. I don't know how much or how little backpacking you've done, but if you've never been out for a solid month at a time before, this would be good to try before commiting to a 6 month trip and all the financial issues that would cause your family.+1 sounds like good advice.but one thing i read of thoreaus thoughts that spoke to me was,that he would find it a great waste...... to live his life a certain way and to realze at the end that he never really lived.
And, you are blaming your boss!?So, unless you are there just to occupy a desk, someone will need to do your work.
If you could leave your job for six months and the rest of the employees could easily do your work, then your job is redundant. Or would your co-workers have to cover your work at, perhaps, a significant hardship, such as working overtime and sacrificing things important in their lives? If someone would have to be hired to do your work, then the employer would have to hire someone, and then fire them upon your return, and subsequently pay three years of unemployment as a result of firing them (under the new unemployment rules), which is a significant cost to the employer.
I point this out as a small business owner, who has faced these types of situations. I cannot absorb the loss of an employee for six months. Each employee has an important position in the company. I have hired a replacement, who actually performed the job significantly better than the employee that left. I wanted to keep the new employee, and not reabsorb the old one. These are difficult questions in a business. They should not be taken lightly, if your job is important to you.
colorado_rob
09-12-2012, 11:51
Wow, what a volatile thread!!! Lots of preaching. Tell us what you REALLY think?
Anyway, this hits close to home as I plan on asking for a 5 month LOA (unpaid, of course,m no benefits, etc) next March for an AT quest. If I get it fine, I'll come back to work in September. If refused, it's a no-brainier, I'll quit with zero regrets. Life moves on, don't sit on the sidelines. Everyone's situation is different. Mine is clear to me.
Darwin13
09-13-2012, 20:09
this is why im doing this now at 21.
WILLIAM HAYES
09-23-2012, 19:01
tell him to kiss your butt and quit then go
neonshaw
09-24-2012, 12:03
I love the AT and dream of hiking it one day. As stated there are choices in life and years ago I got married and have 2 girls in school and a wife that doesnt work (for money). I have a pressure corporate job that I am starting to hate but I am building up a tidy nest egg and must see that thru. I want to retire at 60 or 62 (am 54 now) and then do whatever I and the wife wants to do. First things first. I want to quit now but know I cant. When I get down about the daily grind I figure I need a vacation and a week on the trail does wonders for me.
neonshaw
09-24-2012, 12:07
I love the AT and dream of hiking it one day. As stated there are choices in life and years ago I got married and have 2 girls in school and a wife that doesnt work (for money). I have a pressure corporate job that I am starting to hate but I am building up a tidy nest egg and must see that thru. I want to retire at 60 or 62 (am 54 now) and then do whatever I and the wife wants to do. First things first. I want to quit now but know I cant. When I get down about the daily grind I figure I need a vacation and a week on the trail does wonders for me.
one more thing - if any of you watch Suzy Orman, she says you should work until your 67 or longer to get the max on Social Security. I cant imagine doing that. Why do that to have a bit more money each month only to have less time to enjoy it? At some point you just have to walk away from a high paying job, to hell with it. But only if you are out of debt and the kids are gone.
And to think,that I would have finished the AT by now, returned home, and be sitting here .... telling you about my great adventure! I reckon it will have to wait a few more years!