Gratitude Post 12 - The Daily Grind

The title sounds negative, but it really isn't meant to be - today I am thankful for my job at a company called Cabot Corporation, founded in 1882 by Godfrey Lowell Cabot. (no, it's not the cheese company, but I Love Cabot Cheese)

Scott and I came to Cabot 6 years ago, after 13 years with the behemoth known as General Electric. The sheer chance of both of us landing jobs at the same time for the same company made the decision to leave GE easy. (I have since come to realize the odds of this occurrence are really slim). I have the added bonus of working 30 hours a week, which allows me to be at home when the kids get out of school.

Our facility manufactures a product called Fumed Silica which is used in paints, caulks, cosmetics, printer toners, pharmaceuticals and computer chip polishing slurries. Working in a manufacturing facility is quite fascinating - making product every day, around the clock - one feels a concrete sense of accomplishment. The pictures at the top of the post represent the Fumed Silica and its various applications.

My job has afforded me numerous opportunities to work with people around the globe, and I have had the good fortune to travel to Germany, the UK, and China. Funny thing about my job vs Scott's job - I get to travel and he doesn't, but he doesn't want to travel! So I guess that works out well for us.

I chose today's gratitude after hearing about the news that Creative Memories has filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection. This is a scrapbooking company with ties to many people who, like me, preserve photographs and their stories through scrapbooks.
I know the various scrapbook bulletin boards are buzzing with this news - this news, plus the myriad of other bad economic news "du jour" (name your company - Circuit City, Ford, GM, even GE) adds anxiety in an already jittery atmosphere.

Yeah, Cabot is not 100% immune to the current economic landscape, but I have reason think positively. And for that, I am grateful.