The Life I love Part III

Originally, I didn't do so well at this new company. The first two weeks, for whatever reason, I just couldn't get a grasp on things. Sure, when you're starting out on a new job, it's going to take a while to get the hang of things. But with this company, you didn't get a long time to adjust. You fit in, or you didn't. Their turn over rate was exceedingly high for the area, and over the next couple of years I personally saw more than 100 people come and go throughout the plant. In a company that only had 325 or so employees, that's a high percentage.

Anyways, it was bad enough for me that I think they were going to let me go, but I knew someone who worked there and I believe, though it was never verified, that she suggested they let me try my hand in another shop. I was transferred, and did exceedingly well. Within four months, I was a machine operator and I was the one handling the schedule, deciding basically who and when to put on what project according to customer demands. I had no official authority of course, but over the next couple of years, i was the one running the line. People came to me with thier problems, I had to solve production issues, I ran the line according to the schedule, I was the one who was held accountable for things if they went wrong.

This company went through many changes in regards to custmer demands. As a result, at times they woudl require special shifts to operate the machine, in order to meet demand. I volunteered for weekend shift when it was needed, I volunteered for the 12 hours shifts whent they were needed, and I always did overtime. It was during my work on that line that I met the person who was to be my first serious relationship. We dated for a year exactly, starting on Valentine's day, ending the next year same day. It was ok, we parted on good terms, both realizing things just weren't what we were looking for.

Over the years, I met people, friends, girlfriends. Eventually I applied for and became a Lead, which was exactly what I had already been doing for the last five-six years but without the actual title. I had a friend at the time who had needed a place to stay, so soon enough I had a room-mate.

While I was the Lead on Swing Shift, the company decied they were going to implement Lean philosophies into the company. It was all new to all of us, so we had to wing it as we went. I ran the only line on Swing shift in our department. Day shift had 7 and we had one. There was little to no communication or support from Day shift managers or engineers, so we pretty much had to figure things out the best we could. We made imporvement over the builds we were doing. The largest improvement coming from one build in which we reduced the process time by over 55% and reduced required assemblers by 45%. What took 5 days and 7 people now took 3 days and 4 people. It was quite an improvement, Unfortunately, it was also an improvement completely overlooked and down played by the day shift manager, and my line never received the proper recognition they deserved.

Eventually, the need for the Swing shift ended, and I went to days. Upon going to days, I realized they had made almost zero improvements to the build lines. All the time we had been told we were so far behind, and we were the only ones who had followed through to even the smallest degree. Many of the improvements we had made were lost so the builds could once again be filtered into dayshift build lines without disturbing too many of their processes.

I had to wait for an opening to be a Lead again. When it came, I took it. During my last stint as a Lead, I apparently became too involved with my line. I began noticing how some of the employees were being treated poorly by management (one in particular) through blatant lies, insults, and various degradations. I began trying to facilitate some changes, trying to smooth over the field and bring some of these issues to upper management's awareness.

During this time, I met a wonderful lady. The most wonderful anyone could ever hope to find. She was everything; funny, pretty, cute, gorgeous, smart, everything that a person truly wants but is afraid they will never find. I was lucky, and she found me. She had two children, both with autism. We grew closer and closer, and soon she was my best friend. Soon after that, she was much, much more to me.

My company had decided that it was best to ignore the proven lies told about it's employees by its management and members of its engineering crew. These employees then received some of the worst treatment I have ever witnessed in my years working, and it became too much. I could not help, and I would not sit idly by and watch these people be treated that way. Then something happened to me directly as a retaliation from my manager for pointing out the lies being told, so I quit.

My wonderful girfriend is the most supportive woman I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. She held me up, and backed me up. If it hadn't been for her, I am sure I would have been sitting in a chair right now, assembling parts for that same company, my head bent low, my drive and care forced from me from the very company I worked for. I would have been a shell, nothing more. I know this from experience. I know what I am like. She saved me from this, from myself.

I now live with her and her two amazing children. Everyday they remind me how lucky I am to have them in my life. Everyday I thank God for them, and I pray I never lose them. In what will follow this introduction, The Life I love Parts I, II, and III, I will endeaver to protray the reasons I find myself now living such a wonderful, fullfilled life, and why I love it with all my heart and soul.