The Changing Tides of Work

This past Friday I left work with a laundry list of tasks set for the next week; finish my part of a proposal to another company, send off a media request for a piece of courseware I designed earlier that day, finish storyboarding a topic for another project, etc. I was glad to be productive after a bit of a work slump in the office lately. Then, over the weekend, I got a call from a coworker pointing me to an article on LinkedIn announcing the company I worked for Friday was now absorbed by a competing company. The company I had worked for for over 6 years was no more. In a couple of days I went from being an integral part of my department's team to being unsure if I would even have a job the next day. How quickly things can change in the corporate world.
Thankfully I have a planner for a husband who assured me that even if the worst were to happen that we would get through the next couple of months just fine. That helped get me on my way to work this morning and although I knew it was probably the most important day for me to be there part of me really didn't want to walk through the doors and see what was left of a once vibrant and innovative company. Then I realized, with communication as traditionally poor as it is with this company, nothing would probably be said and if people were laid off there would probably be unceremonious pink slips under our doors. Thankfully the worst case scenario didn't happen and, for now, I'm back at my desk trying to focus (unsuccessfully) on my list of tasks for this week.
When crisis at work happen I will often re-trace my steps as to how I got here and evaluate of this was the right path for me. I gave up a secure vice principal job at a private school (that paid horribly and had unreasonable demands and long hours) to go into the private sector. I didn't take a public school teaching job because I knew how political and unionized the whole public school teacher gig is and that no matter how great a teacher I could be I would never be rewarded for it, never make more than a teacher with the same number of years in that sits on their duff all day getting kids to fill out worksheets. Nope, not for me. This company has helped me develop alot of skills I never would have developed as a teacher, I have the privilege to meet and work with innovative, brilliant people as co-workers and clients and I have developed courseware that will be used for years to come. I actually really love my job, I just hate the politics.
In the past the average adult would work for one maybe two companies in their whole working lives. Company loyalty meant something. Now if a worker stays for more than 3 years that's considered a long time. I've got an average of about 7 years, with that anniversary in this company slowly approaching. Will I still be here in a month-or six? The next few weeks will tell the story I guess.