Becoming - a journey from one form of life into another

Becoming

a journey from one

form of life into

another

1. well it has to start somewhere, doesn't it

I haven't always been this way.

Funny how you change some things in life, but mostly life changes you. Life had grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me until my eyes rattled. It's quite an experience, not one I would recommend to anyone. I had a good life, quiet home in the country, job in the city, a daughter who loves me, and my wife. I had a 2 hour commute to work, but the pay made it worth it. I worked at a clinic creating electronic records from paper ones. Fancy way to say "I scanned papers into a pc". Not the most exciting of jobs, but it was quiet and peaceful. I worked nights so the wife could be with the daughter, then I would take care of her when the wife went to work.

Admittedly it sounds like any other persons life, change the titles and names and it pretty much fits anybody you know. Almost like a generic life. Possibly even picturesque. But I noticed something was changing slowly, just barely noticeable. Couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I knew something was different. The wife seemed disinterested with anything I did. The daughter began to want to spend more and more time with her mom, only wanting me to stay when it was time to go to work. That's an odd feeling, let me tell you! You get angry, hurt, disappointed, and lost all at once. Makes you realize where words like "duh" and "der" come from.

One evening as I arrived early to work, I noticed a couple of other vehicles parked in the lot of the building. Usually there's no other vehicles there. I thought it odd, but figured some doctor had an emergency or something. I parked and went to the door. One of the fun things at work, the "punch in a number on the keypad to get in the building" game. How many times will I have to punch the sequence before it realizes it. Three this time, woo-hoo!

I go inside and walk down the hallway. The scanning room is on the ground floor, so I don't have to walk up stairs. I hate stairs. I get to the next code door, which usually works first try. That is, unless they changed it again. You gotta make your life at least seem fun to yourself, no matter how it seems to anyone else. It's my life dammit, and I'm gonna make the dull things fun for me. Everyone else can do whatever floats their boat. This is mine.

I enter the scanner room and drop my satchel I carry with me. It's got my zune and speakers with power adapters. I jam at work. Just as I start to get mt speakers out there's a knock on the door and it opens.

"Mark?"

It's the Human Resources manager. Oh boy, this is probably one of 2 things, either it's good-bye job or it's hello raise.

"Yes, you need me for something?", I ask her.

"Come with me, bring your bag of stuff", she flatly states. Well THAT didn't sound good.

I follow her upstairs to the 4th floor (top floor) which I thought was unused. And fro