I’m back at the Herald, in a permanent position. I’ve had to
sort of let it sink in for that past couple of weeks to be able to express how
I really feel about it. I had a ‘que sera, sera’ attitude while I was going through
the process of applying, and interviewing for the job. I don’t think it was so
much that I wasn’t sure I could do it, as I wasn’t sure if I should.
After losing my job there a couple years ago I heard a lot
about doors closing and windows opening. I never believed for a moment that my
new open window would allow me to return to the place I considered my second
home.
Yes, this means a lot to me.
I am sappy and sentimental - I know these things about
myself. I reflect and analyze far too much. But here’s the thing; the Herald is
to me what Tara was to Scarlett O’Hara, Kansas to Dorothy. The Herald is home to
me.
I know that I would have been okay if they hadn’t chosen me
for this new position. I might have felt a little slighted, but I have learned
that life is about changes and choices and that there is always something a
person can do. I trust that the right windows and doors open and then it is up
to me to choose which ones to go through.
I’m so lucky to have been given the chance to choose the
Herald again. It is hard work and stressful, but that is what drives me. That
is what I love.
The old Herald building may be gone, and many of my favorite
people have moved on or retired, but they are still with me. And always will
be.
The women who worked tirelessly in the Advertising
department were the women who molded my career life. They made me see, through
their own diligence and success, what was possible for me. I hope to be that
woman for someone new who might be searching, as I was, for hope.
Now I have a challenging road ahead of me, as I have a lot
to learn. I know I can do it. I am
thinking of all the people who have been with me through the past couple of
years while I struggled to find my way – people who supported me with
encouragement while I went to college and searched for jobs. I am so thankful I
had to go through that. It was a huge growth opportunity for me. I never
thought I would feel this way about being a part of the layoffs at the Tri-City
Herald. I can see now that it was good for me after all.
