Tenacious

I received the following email today from an old co-worker:

Courtney -

I was cleaning out my email and found a “PWBA* Team” subject email. The “To” line had the following names:

John A...
Joe D...
Margie D...
Courtney K...
A.J. M...
Jeff S...
Kurien T...
Dustan W...

You seem to have a secret when it comes to PWBA longevity. Hope all is well, enjoy the Dilbert!

-Dustan

(Attached to the email was a dilbert cartoon about people with time making decisions while the people with talent were busy fixing the problems made by the people who have time. Very appropriate for anyone who works for a giant company.)

Not a single person on Dustan's list, save yours truly, still works on the PWBA project. Sigh.

Five years. I've spent five years working on the same damn project. Blink. Whoosh. Five Years. Same.Damn.Project. I've had 3 different managers, at least 5 different product team leads, and dozens of different teammates in that time. I am the ONLY constant. I can't decide if this makes me feel awesome - like YEAH! I'm the only one who can't be replaced. HA! Or if it makes me feel like a total sucker who keeps pluggin away at the same thing day in and day out, too stupid/lazy/loyal/content to find greener pastures.

I like my job. I really do. I'm doing exactly what I decided at 14 I would do when I grew up. My brain is engaged, I like my co-workers, I'm challenged, they pay me decently, I have good benefits, I pick my own hours (granted, sometimes I have pick 20 of them a day, but darn it, I get to pick which 20 they'll be - ha!), and I respect my boss. (Well, I respect one of my bosses, I have two now, and the new guy's total turd, but I like to think that, like all the people I've worked with, he'll be gone soon.) Still. This is the only project I've ever worked on. And this is the only "real" job I've ever had. What if it's way better someplace else? What if the grass really is greener? Am I fighting the good fight or am I just afraid to leave my comfort zone?

Ugh. I'm feeling way too contemplative for 3:30 on a Friday.

----
*We loves us some acronyms in my business. In fact, the signature at the bottom of my work emails reads as follows:

Courtney K...
AEHE PWBA CPE
PTC&M PC

I kid you not.

Note: exactly three letters were changed in the above collection of acronyms so as not be google-able... I don't really work on the PWBA... although I think I could *totally* rock the Professional Women's Bowling Association. Don't you?