NaPoWriMo 2021, Day Two

yesterday (2006) on our walk

The road not taken 

Times were tough that year and I was laid off 

Not exactly "laid off" as such but with 

letter, lay-off letter, in hand 

I was a good worker 

So four of us went to Philly 

with our letters in hand 

People at Headquarters there 

didn't know New Hampshire 

was laying off 

We four engineers had letters in hand 

gave them to IR 

without much promise 

I was a good worker 

Then we went trudging back to N.H. 

hoping for a miracle 

That Monday we were called in 

with nothing said about our HQ visit 

we were told we still had our jobs 

There would be more layoffs 

but with different criteria 

I was a good worker 

A couple of weeks later  I was called in 

and asked if I wanted to go to Houston 

I was a good worker 

I would be helping to oversee installation of the equipment 

in the NASA Houston Control Center 

(of "Houston, we've go a problem" fame)

So I moved 

family in tow 

Loved seeing the Cherry Blossoms in Washington D.C.

I was a good worker 

There I stayed fourteen years 

Aerospace Engineer working in 

the Mission Control Center 

During missions I was Skylab 

"Electrical Control" or "Environmental Control"

I had seen their marked up copy of my Resume 

in bright Red was encircled one word 

"Digital" 

I was a good worker

Had I stayed north perhaps State Farm would 

have accepted my application work-up 

as being an Insurance Agent (??)

  _ _ _ 

Note:  A similar event, not a lay-off but job change, had occurred at my Army year-long Electronics, Radar, and Computer Nike Hercules Missile school opportunity, my discharge, my college graduation with advanced degree, running for political office, and finally retirement.  All seemed to be the right choices for my roads to take.  And, I was a good worker. 

 _ _ _ 

 - Poem and , Jimmiehov 2021, All Rights Reserved 

 - Photo Copyright 2006 http://jimmiehov.blogspot.com/search?q=fork+in+the+road and 2009 http://jimmiehov6.blogspot.com/2009/03/one-single-impression-fork-in-road.html 

 - I am linked to NaPoWriMo for prompt theme and for poem deposit, at https://www.napowrimo.net/day-two-8/ 

 - NaPoWriMo prompt,  "Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem about your own road not token – about a choice of yours that has “made all the difference,” and what might have happened had you made a different choice."