"I've decided that perhaps I'm bulimic and just keep forgetting to purge."

-- Paula Poundstone

Friday, July 23, 2010

Snoozing and oozing and goodbyes

I can’t seem to win lately.

My little situation on Wednesday morning cleared up fast, only for my little head cold to grow into a monster that has now slammed me for 2.5 days.

My husband has it, too.

And my son, whom we suspect brought this nastiness home from daycare in the first place, has now added oozy pink eye to the mix.

We are the House of Yuck.

I’ve stayed in bed and off the treadmill for two days, trying to let myself recuperate. So far, it’s not working.

Fingers crossed that I can get over the crud and back to my weight-blasting battle soon.

In the meantime, today is my last day at P&M.

Back in December, I got a call from P&M to come to work for them – on the very same day I received my last unemployment check.

Don’t tell me someone wasn’t watching over me.

Since then, I’ve gone from a scared, out-of-work journalist to someone who realizes there is a life beyond newspapers, and that maybe my skills really can be valued in other industries.

I gained a lot in my seven months at P&M, but nothing more important than a few new friends.

When I started there, I really had no intention of making new friends.

I figured I had plenty at this point, really, and I was tired of saying goodbye to people.

Especially devastating was when I left The Flint Journal after nine years. My co-workers there quickly became my family, so when we all left, it broke my heart.

I not only lost my identity, but my support system.

But the kind folks at P&M (pictured are my buds Nancy, Denise and MaryBeth) helped me realize that it’s OK to let down your guard and open your heart again.

Like my Journal friends taught me, where you work doesn’t dictate who your friends are.

So despite my best defense, I’m leaving today with a few new friends as I continue on my journey.

And that’s better than anything I could put on my resume.

2 comments:

  1. Well said, Misty, as always. Today is bittersweet. I will miss having you just down the hall, only a shout away, but am so very happy that one of my favorite butterflies is spreading her wings. God bless you on this next leg of your journey.

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  2. Hearing ya... it seems like you have really stepped back to take a look at the work situation for what it is beyond just work. That support system you speak of was there for a lot of people. We could not be happier that you have discovered life beyond newspapers. That may eventually serve as inspiration for us?

    Rest up, get healthy and then it's time to start dropping the lb's.

    Gower, once you beat the "yuck" it's back to the treadmill, got it!

    N

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