painting marbles

Most of you know that I work with marbles. Mostly I mix the colors and paint them. Other people with more marble education than I have actually choose what color families to mix, but I do the actual mixing and painting. It's an art and a science, and I'm pretty good at my job. I know enough to know what color families should be chosen, and what colors we will expect to paint the marbles, but mostly all that I do is the painting.

Which is okay, but also slightly boring. There's not a whole lot of opportunities to move up the marble ladder. Up until yesterday I was in the process of interviewing for a job as a marble educator -- teaching both the marble-painters and the owners of the marbles about the painting experience. But all of the vibes I kept getting about that job were bad* so I told the marble boss yesterday that I'd just stick to mixing and painting marbles, not teaching about them. Jaws dropped, eyes bugged, but the one thing I was sure about was that I wasn't sure about that job.

I think letting that one pass was a good decision, even though there aren't many opportunities for marble-painters to move up the marble ladder.

Meanwhile, I've sent a resume and follow-up letter to a different marble boss at another marble company. I heard they were going to have a marble mentor position open to mixers and painters. I don't know a whole lot about this job other than it's based in one building and it would be a grassroots job, lots of hand-holding for people whose marbles were being painted. Much like the marble educator position I wasn't sure about, but this one has better vibes. The only problem is that nobody's contacted me from that place. So although I think it might be a good change, they may not want me. Therein lies the however.

But that's not the twist! Last night after I came home from painting marbles, I received a phone call from someone at another marble factory in town, seeking me out for a marble mentor/coordinator position they would soon be opening. She said it would be like a mentor position ++. She said there would be opportunities for growth and more education. I asked her to email me a copy of the description once the marble details were ironed out.

If you read my blog even quasi-regularly, you'll know I have marble issues of my own. I'm expecting another coat of paint on my personal marbles this spring. It may be that I need to be in a place where I'm slightly bored while that drama is going on. Or maybe it'll be fine and I can go ahead and schedule my marble certification exam and change jobs and save the world.

I don't know. I need some advice, and I don't want any hokey "you have to do what's right for you" nonsense. I know that much. (Let's use a third analogy!!) Do I reach for the gold ring this pass of the merry-go-round, knowing I may not have another opportunity to grab it, knowing if I get up that someone's going to get my horse, knowing that there's currently lots of drama on the carousel and it might be easier to just keep my seat...

You're turn. What should I do?

* Lots of travel, no credit for creativity, marble drama, extra cell phone, and they'd never tell me how much they would pay for my marble expertise.