Musings at Altitude

The longest interview I ever went through was over 8 hours which occured just over 5 years ago when I joined the company I’m part of today.  I remember how anxious I was during that interview because I was briefed that it would be only a couple of hours and with less than a handful of people and it ended up being lots longer than that and with at least a couple hands of people.  During that 8+ hours of interrogation, I was scrutinized on my background, questioned about my qualifications to be a leader of the company, and debated about my vision for what the company could be and how quickly it could become that.  I remember walking out of that extensive verbal battle mentally exhausted.  I called my wife and said, “there’s no chance I’m getting this job.”  The next morning, I got a call and the caller said, “we’ve decided that you’re the best guy for this job.”  I was stunned, because at no time during that previous day did I have the feeling that this job was mine.  Quite the contrary, actually.  There were lots of times where I felt convinced that they had someone else that was a better fit and already the preferred choice.

In an extreme comparison, Barack Obama just went through a 2 year interview where I’m sure at many times during that extensive interview process he felt like the people hiring for this job knew a better fit and had a preferred choice.  He too went through an extensive vetting process, but his included an exhaustive background check, serious scrutiny of his faith and family, and intense questioning about his philosophical and theological positions.  He too was intensely debated over the vision and the path for the organization (or country) he would run, and he too was doubted at times about whether any of the dreams that he shared could ever be realized.  After two years of sleepless nights, he too got the call, “we’ve decided that you’re the best guy for this job.”

I was mentally and physically exhausted after 8+ hours of intensive interviews, and yet I was excited beyond belief when that call came.  I can’t even begin to imagine how tiring a 2 year interview process must have been.  But we all got a sense for his excitement once the choice was clear when he gave his victory speech.

Regardless of my political preferences, I’m committed to supporting our President and I’ll be joining millions of Americans in praying for him every single day.  One of the great things about our country is how we band together in the toughest of times and through our unified efforts attack our greatest challenges.  I’ll spend very little time looking back right now – there’s not a lot to learn in the rear view mirror.  I’ll spend lots of time looking forward though, committing myself to being active in the change process and fully believing that our great country will come together in unity and action.

PS.  I may have political differences with our soon to be new President – I think that would have been the case with whichever “interviewee” was selected.  But I have a hard time now with some who visibly show their dismay through any number of what I consider inappropriate ways.  Here’s one of them I saw today:

I’m jumping to a conclusion that this was this individual’s own way of protesting the results of the election. 

One of the great things about our country is the election process, and through that process, the will of the people becomes known.  Regardless of whether our candidate was elected or not, our flag should be flying high.  That’s the right thing to do.  But then again, another great thing about our country is the right of free speech which allows someone like this to protest in his own way.