Deja vue

In one  month I will start a new job at a medical clinic about five miles away from my home. I sought this job as a way to put an end to the myriad of days, times and locations that make up my present schedule at the hospital at which I presently work. I am grateful for my profession, but after 28 years of trying to juggle family life with working weekends, holidays and night shifts, I am desiring a predictable work week with weekends and holidays off. There is always some give and take in these situations, though; at my new job I will be earning less money and working more hours. Sigh. But as a friend very wisely observed, “Maybe you will have more peace in your life with your new schedule.”  Hmmm. It must have been obvious that I was struggling to deal with the crazy demands of hospital-work hours.  And I do think achieving peace of mind regarding one’s work- a-day world is a worthy goal.  I am indeed praying that God will bless the years I have left to work with His presence, and especially, His peace.

As I  prepared my resume for this position I realized  I actually applied for a  job with  this same facility 25 years ago. When we first moved to Zimmerman I looked for work at every clinic within a twenty-mile radius of home – the Zimmerman Clinic was one of them.  The clinic was west of town then, in a little building that  holds the city offices now.  Oh, I wanted to work close to home so badly!  But it wasn’t to be.  I received a very kind rejection letter from someone there, telling me that I was over qualified to work at such a small medical clinic, but thank you for applying. I was broken-hearted.  I ended up taking a job 20-plus miles away, in Coon Rapids, MN, and I stayed working in that part of the  Minneapolis suburbs for sixteen years. About eight years ago I took my present job at  Fairview Northland Hospital in Princeton,MN, thirteen miles north of my home.  

Over time, the Zimmerman clinic, which is a part of the Fairview health care system, has grown. It has built a new facility placed strategically on the outskirts of town, and adjacent to a major highway, but  it remains a friendly, small town clinic at  heart.  I had to laugh when I realized that after 25 years of practicing as a radiographer, I am now suitably qualified to work in a job that I was overqualified for so many years ago! But ultimately, I am very, very happy to finally be  working only five miles from home : )