Well, here I am again, 10 months later. I just lost my job of 26 years, so now I have time to blog. In reading my last post from September 2016, I can say that my attitude and outlook have changed tremendously.
I'm 57 years old now. Divorced, jobless. I'm trying to find where my passion is for my next career, but haven't found it yet.
I do like to write, so now I blog. A friend just told me, "Think about what you loved doing as a child and pursue that as a career." Well, I wrote my first short story at age 8. I took every creative writing class that I could during school, and took independent studies writing classes. I loved my English classes.
Also in junior high school I started working on the yearbook and newspaper staffs, and continued that through high school and college. During my sophomore year in college I also started working at the local newspaper. I started out as a yardman and worked in various departments until I ended up in the newsroom as a reporter. A year later I became editor of a small town newspaper. After a short stint in the security business, I became a trade magazine editor. From there I joined a publishing house and was an executive editor by age 31, with 20 people reporting to me. I then jumped to another job where I was editor of an industry trade magazine. There, I worked for many years and had a good life. I was able to raise my kids and enjoyed a secure job. The work week was only 37.5 hours, so I had time to devote to volunteer work. I was the cofounder of a computer club in 1988, and became president in 1994. Also in 1994 I cofounded a church, and was ordained as a lay minister in January 1996. In 2013 I became president of another computer user group. In 2014 I became director of a statewide professional society.
In 1997, I joined the Sierra Club and became a passionate activist. During my years with the Club I've received 10 awards. I worked my way up to chair of my local group and then vice chair of the state chapter. I also served as state secretary and state and local newsletter editor. I was on a national committee. I worked on various committees, including fundraising, political, and conservation. I set up an adopt-a-mile program for my local group. I cleaned trash out of creeks. I became a speaker for the Club's population and urban sprawl campaigns. And much more. My proudest accomplishments in life are the successful political and conservation campaigns that I took a part in.
Now, fast forward to 2017. Here I am, just laid off from work, along with my staff. The nonprofit I was working for was taken over by a management company. I sort of feel lost now. I've only been unemployed once in my career, for 2-1/2 months. That was 34 years ago.
I'm not sure what to do now. After all my accomplishments in life I now feel like a discarded piece of trash. I'm now in my third week of unemployment. I'm trying to stay busy to keep away the depression. I have dreams of starting my own business, but the time investment is massive and the profit is small. Or maybe I will try a career change.
Not sure. But, anyway, I write to you, the planet Pluto because I know you are out there in cold, deep space. You are my friend, as corny as that sounds. Goodbye for now.
