Friday, October 5, 2018

Hmm. Puerto Rico

This is one of those days when I just can't seem to get away from the starting line. Sure, I have things to do but I seem to have left my get-up-and-go somewhere else.
I'm now working part time at West Marine. It's an interesting place to be and I'm afraid I fit in a bit too well with the other "older" gentlemen there. You know the kind: thinning grey hair, white beards, a few years in the face. Yep. That's me. I chuckle when I look at and talk to these guys. We all have our "life before West Marine" stories.
Most were professionals. Office types and glad to be out of the rat race. The kids are all grown and the condo life is just fine.
Surprisingly, some have been with WM as many as 20 years or more. That's as long as my tech writing career. To think that I could be here 20 years is not out of the realm of possibility. Mind you, I'm a relatively young man not yet 60!
I'm okay with that.
I like chatting with boaters,cruisers and contractors. I actually have some experience and knowledge of what I'm talking about and I enjoy talking with new boaters.
As for education, West Marine has an impressive amount of information stored in their catalog and online. Part of the attraction of working there is the online classes and tests made available to me as an associate.
It's a bit like drinking from a fire hose. You could make a career out of each department: Electrical, sanitation, plumbing, safety, Fiberglas repair, paint and so on.
There's also the flexibility of working most anywhere near the water. Florida has 15 stores and there are stores as far afield as Puerto Rico and Hawaii. Perhaps down the line I can go to Puerto Rico to work there for awhile.
Hmm. Puerto Rico.