Who Knew?
The boss appeared at my office door and said we needed to talk. I followed him into a small boardroom, we sat down, and then he proceeded to tell me I no longer had a job. One of the seventeen people laid off that fateful day.
April 2, 1996.
Hard to believe it was eighteen years ago. Hard to believe what happened changed my life direction in a way I did not see coming.
I dislike the joyful proclamations of “a door opens when one is closed bla bla bla”. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is good about losing your job. The shock and hurt and panic are mind-numbing. I was a big time TV and radio producer at one of Canada’s top ad agencies. There wasn’t a huge opportunity to ply my trade at other places. I thought, no, I knew I was fucked.
So I went and got very drunk.
Then in an alcohol haze I decided to become a personal trainer.
The decision to become a writer took a few more years to manifest… though I was most likely drunk when I made that declaration. (Crazy ideas while drunk seem to be a trend with me… thank goodness I don’t drink often.)
April 3, 1996 was the day I started the quest to change my profession. Many twists and turns have filled and sidelined the last eighteen years. They have been challenging and exhilarating with many mutations in between.
Fear and a tenacious attitude helped me those first few months. Luckily I had the support of some steadfast friends. I believe luck and fate were mixed into the scenario. And also good karma. To be honest, I think karma was more of a factor than anything else.
Many people show up at work to find they will lose their jobs that day. I hope they have a drink and fantasize about what life might have in store for them.
Each and every April 2 I think about what happened to me all those years ago. Today I was busy with six incredible personal training clients and two writing projects. Not a great deal of time to ponder the past.
But maybe just enough time to pour myself a drink.
Great story – very inspiring. I’m definitely going to start drinking more…..I’m pretty sure that’s the message here? Anyways, that’s what I’m taking away from it. Cheers!
PS it may be a cliche “when a door closes, another one opens” but it isn’t enough to have a door in front of you – you have to have the courage to go through it and stay on the other side. Huge kudos to you my friend!!
Deb… you and I have shared many a brew while attempting to “solve” life problems… (luckily we’ve shifted to many more coffee chats,) but let’s book a table at our old pub soon!!
It’s 11:45pm and as I was sitting here, enjoying a glass of Pinot Noir, I was reading your most recent entry. I have read all of them. It was also this month, April 15 of 2011 when many of us lost our jobs in the ad agency. Time passes, time heals and you think about what has passed and also about what is in the future…..all’s good.
Hi Susan… Many came and went during those amazing years at the agency! “paths cross, journeys continue” Lovely to hear from you and thanks for reading!!