Taking a Break !!!!!

A loud alarm sound hammered in the middle of my sleep. It was 3:30 AM in the mornning and I was supposed to catch a flight to SFO (Napa), early in the morning. Being not completely out of jet-lag, my eyes look blood in the showcase mirror.

Some how manged to get ready and pack things (good that I didn't unwind much of my packages from India). My cab arrived 5:15 , 15 mts before the scheduled time, and now Iam on my way to Logan Intl. Aiport. I hate a calm and silent environment when Iam moody. I wanted to talk any bloddy thing in that chill mornining. Luckily the driver is a talkative person (thank god) !!!

We were talking generally, about the weather, not-so-snowy-winter , global warming, various attraction in Napa, SFO..a lot.
Then our discussion slowly turned to business. I asked him (Mark is what his name is)...

Me : Wher do u live and how long are you with the CLI (chlemsfor limo service).
Mark : Iam in New Hampshire (a state close to Boston) and around an year with CLI.
Me: What do u do before this..
Mark: (After a pause.). I was a program manager with a telecom company for 8 years which latter acquired by Ciso.
Me : Excuse me....what did u say..
Mark: As a Program manager in a startup , (by now I am almost speechless )Then I stick with Cisco for 3 years, to get all the benifits.

Then mark continnued saying "We made telecom product for....^(^*%&^%()(Q&W%EWQ*_)WE (I couldn't any of the technical jargon or the business terms he used.)

I was totoally puzzled ..Why the hell a Program mnager would quit the job and become a cab-driver !!!I still couldn't digest what he said. !!! Finding it difficult to control my curiosity, I asked him the same question.

Me : But YYYYY !!!! You were a prog-manager, then for what under the sun, did you quit and join as a driver !!!
Mark: I wanted to take a break !!!! Well I have been manging clients, controlling projects,travelling for 20 years. I made enough money for me and my family is settled (His eldeest son in a s/w engg and his daughter is a student!!!).

I MAY go back to IT an year from now, if I got bored. Life as a cab-driver is cool. I just have to attend 3 or 4 clients a day, and that even if I wish !! I dont need to travel to any place , I can stay with my family all the time. I can play golf (!!!) with my son on weekends and can watch base-ball when ever I wanted.

I almost went UNCONSIOUS on hearing this !!!!

Mark also said that he is married for last 27 years and his wife is working in a retail company (donno the designation) He also said it is his wife's work-benifit which allow him to take a break for a while !!!

I usally tip the cab driver with 3 or 4 $ (though it is not needed since it part of the bill). I decided not for this time !!!

I have come across the term CONTENTED many times in books. But this is the first time I'm meeting such a person !!!