Transitional Experience

Continued from Page 4

After finishing the schooling under the GI Bill I was offered an entry level position. I jumped on it. Unfortunately this meant I had to run the business remotely obviously not optimum. This went on for six months. I knew I had made the right decision. It was like a weight off my shoulders and emotionally the happiest I had been since I retired.

Former military contacts took my resume and worked me into an interview with a Fortune 100 company that I had targeted. After getting hired I now had to make the decision to shut the business down. The time and intensity of the job was not going to allow be to continue to run a small business.

Looking back on this phase of my life I am reminded of the phrase ‘If the mountain will not come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain.’ You can try to will the mountain all you want however eventually an alternate plan has to be realized. Advice to all separating service members would be to put your best plan forward running it by friends and family. Listen to inputs and suggestions. Lean on your service contacts. They have been there and can help ease the process.