KUIC morning air personality John Young’s surprise self-written press release last week announcing he’s leaving the Vacaville-based radio station to accept a therapist job in Placer County caught many by surprise.

Including, apparently, KUIC management.

Dumping a 22-year gig to use his therapist license, while perhaps not as absurd as former Oakland A’s pitching great Vida Blue abruptly quitting baseball to join a steel company back in 1972, had many scratching their head.

In retrospect, a misstep, Young said, acknowledging he should have probably discussed “this life decision with more than just my wife and cat.”

Like, oh, his bosses.

“I should have cleared the press release with them, but I wanted to write my own story,” Young said. “I was leaving, but I wasn’t mad and wasn’t getting fired. I just chose a different path. I had to jump at the opportunity.”

Again, he shrugged, “I should have sat down with them. I’m not the greatest leaver of a cool job.”

Roughly 72 hours later, employee and employer met and the 56-year-old Young remains in the booth for the “The KUIC Hometown Morning Show” — his career home for nearly 22 years.

“After discussions between John and management and an outpouring of support from the community and listeners, Alpha Media is excited to announce that John Young will be staying with 95.3 KUIC for the foreseeable future.”

The above statement three days later was from KUIC ownership. Not Young. He said he’s done sending out press releases for now.

“I’m been super, super happy with this job and I’m still happy,” Young said, acknowledging a semi-faux pas while downing a decaf mocha with whipped cream at a nearby Starbucks.

“I’d like it if last week didn’t happen, but it did,” Young said.

Young’s press release unleashed a barrage of fan response after he said he was leaving at the start of October, calling his tenure “an amazing run — much longer than I ever imagined.” He said he was grateful for the listeners “who’ve supported me and allowed me to interject myself into their mornings for the last two decades.”

“It was very humbling. I didn’t expect that kind of reaction,” Young said Monday, adding that his tenure at one station borders on a minor — maybe major — miracle.

“In radio, longevity is not a given,” he said. “If you’re smart, you have some kind of exit plan. So I’ve kept my therapy license updated.”

Young was a parody songwriter for a Sacramento radio station in 1999 when he earned his license to practice therapy. Six months later, he was hired by KUIC.

“I didn’t go to broadcasting school or have a background of how to get a transmitter up and running after it burned to the ground,” Young grinned. “I was a comedian and musician.”

When he received information about the full-time opening for a therapist in Placer County, he thought it may just be the right time to transition out of radio.

While helping people as a therapist “brings me joy, my main joy comes from doing this morning job,” Young said. “KUIC’s been great to me and they said ‘Let’s work this out. Stick around.’”

Thoughts of ending his morning tenure were painful, Young said.

“My stomach hurt for about three days,” he said. “That was a weird hiccup.”

The decision to go — or not — was excruciating, Young said.

“It was one of the moments I wish my dad were alive to offer some advice,” he said.

Young’s father — also John Young — died last November from COVID-19.

“I think he would have said, ‘You’ve earned the right at this point to call your own shots,’ and, to a degree, that’s what I did,” Young said. “I’m trying to write my own story. I look at what I’m doing and what’s going on and I don’t think I’m done yet. I don’t feel like I’m ready to leave.”

Young had no illusion that he’s irreplaceable at the radio station.

“Everyone’s replaceable,” he said, regretting he “put people through a lot” with his short-lived, self-imposed termination.

“If they’ll still have me and I still have something to contribute, I’d like to stick around,” Young said.

And that retirement? He laughed.

“It didn’t last very long,” Young said. “I’m not ready yet.”