networkI was deeply rooted in Birmingham, Alabama. I had friends from work, friends from church, friends from the running community, friends from the gym, and friends from the Beginning Experience ministry. I began growing roots in Alpharetta, Georgia as soon as I arrived, but 12 months of roots cannot match 12 years of roots.

My professional skills were in high demand in Birmingham. I had no fear of making a living as a pastoral counselor when I moved to Alpharetta because I had a long history of growing new counseling centers and programs. But demand for my professional skills never developed in Georgia. After two years of trying as hard as I had ever tried before, I was still making $1000 per month as a pastoral counselor.

I don’t know exactly when it started, but more than a year after arriving in Georgia, I went to my doctor and told him I thought I was depressed. He put me on Zoloft. Within a matter of weeks, I decided it was time for me to do something different with my life.

I did not understand why, after 15 years of accumulating skill and experience, when I was the most effective counselor and therapist I had ever been, that I should move on to something new. Nonetheless, I decided that January 1998 should mark the start of a new phase.

My first plan was to go into Human Resource Management. I worked with HR professionals on a daily basis when I ran Employee Assistance Programs and was familiar with what they did. I went to sign up for the Society of Human Resource Management’s next big training seminar and found that it was full. The next one would not be offered for months.

Meanwhile, my computer broke and I had to take it in for repairs. They said it would be ready in a week. I was sure the computer could be fixed in a matter of minutes, but I didn’t know how. My father had been an instrument mechanic for the Navy and repaired watches as a hobby. I figured I could learn how to fix computers and that maybe I could go into business for myself repairing computers faster than the shop I was at. I started looking for schools where I might study. The first thing I learned was that the technicians who repair hardware didn’t make enough money for me to give up pastoral counseling in Georgia. The people who repair computer networks, however, were well paid and in high demand. I decided to learn to repair computer networks.

I narrowed my choices of where to train to two schools in the Atlanta area. I went to visit both unannounced on a rainy Tuesday afternoon. My favorite was a modest place in Norcross. After consulting with my wife, I wrote them a check for $6000 to begin the 6 classes I would need to pass the tests to become a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE).

Classes were held in the evenings to accommodate students with jobs, but the school was open all day. I spent 8 hours per day 6 days per week in the computer lab reading books, manuals, and practicing on the lab network. I brought my own seat cushion to pad the metal folding chairs that furnished my world. It took me four months to become an MCSE. As soon as I was certified, the school hired me as an instructor.

I loved having students. Nearly all of them were experienced professionals who were striving to make more money by upgrading their skills and getting certified. When the rare person asked me if I missed counseling, I said no. Now, instead of helping clients upgrade their skills and live better lives, I was helping students. I liked it just as much.

As you might guess, this is not the end of my career story. Hang on. I’ll tell you more in Part III.