After all my worry, I finally was booted from The Miami Herald in 2009. Thirty-six years to the day I was hired. I like the symmetry of that now, just couldn’t appreciate it then. Seems to have taken me two years to get past the personal humiliation of a rejection I know was purely economic, but despite my earlier rantings, still hurt.
I didn’t anticipate the loss of part of my identity: that woman who could whip an edition into shape and make deadline. The one who closed shop at a major newspaper each night for years. I invested a lot of myself there, and never recognized the cost. Took a while for that to sink in. And not bringing in a paycheck? How can I spend anything on books if I’m not contributing to the family fund? Mr. N2LC began LOTS of overtime, too much, and nearly drained his own health.
But the wolf is not at the door, and we have to be thankful for that.
I still haven’t gone back to the Herald building to see my old friends, just can’t do it.
This chapter, the penultimate one, is gaining ground. Almost finished with The Book, and looking forward to testing its readability by publishing as an almost free ebook. Still teetering between two homes: Miami and Gort. Although the winters in Ireland have been so bad, the hedgings have died. I really hope that’s not an allegory for my retirement plans. See how I turn everything, even climate change, into a personal issue? It’s gotta change. I really do have to get out more!!!!
I’ll get back on track here, and hope to make future posts less egocentric. Anyway, just wanted to say hi guys. Yeah, I’m back on my feet.
