Ode to Itron

My work day has come and gone.  I was counting down the hours until 3:00.  I held it together pretty good, until Alice hugged me goodbye.  (This was before the big goodbye).  I started tearing up a little bit, and Amber called me out.  (Her eyes were just as red).  We all went to clean out our lockers and be briefed about the severance meeting.  We handed in our jackets, ground straps and all Itron belongings.  Then the boss went into a mini speech, saying how we had all grown and how much she loves us.  At the end she told the rest of the department to come say their goodbyes.  That's when the waterworks started.  Some of them knew where my next jobs were.  Others were encouraging and saying, maybe I can get back into teaching.  It lasted about 5 minutes and then we were off.  I cried off and on, on the ride home.  Mainly because I was going to miss everyone.  I will especially miss my 2nd shift peeps.  They became my 2nd family.  I saw them more then I saw Matt last year.  I plan on staying in touch with most of them- the ones I already hung out with.  The rest will be via facebook.  I was so ready to be done with the job.  I've been wanting out since July, but I had to wait it out.  I'm glad that I did, because I have 2 really great jobs lined up.  I am really excited to start my new focus.  I'm ready to move on.  Itron was a great stepping stone.  It made me humble, and it let me learn new things.  I would've never pictured myself working in a factory setting, but I will carry my experience for the rest of my life.  I worked with people from all walks of life.  It didn't matter that I had a college degree, and some of them only had a GED.  We were all equal, and only our dedication and motivation would set us apart.  I'm really glad that I met a lot of these people, because they are locals and will be here for a long time.  Most of the friends I've made in my first few years of living here, have been college students.... and they don't stick around long.  To sum up this long post, thank you Itron for helping me these last 2 years.