She, being a professional clown, told me how difficult it was to dress up as a clown in the unbearable heat and humidity that we’ve been having lately. I thought I could relate. Upon reflection, she had it worse than me.
I was running in the heat in a tank top and shorts. I was not sporting face paint, a clown suit, oversized shoes, and a red rubber nose. And, I hear those red rubber noses can raise your body temperature so much that you shrivel up and are able to fit in a small car with several other clowns.
As I climbed the three flights to my office, I thought how good it felt to be working again. The technical writer portion of my brain had been like the Scarecrow's brain; mine was updated and functioning again. And lastly, it was also good to be among lovely friends like Barbara, Lisa, Tom, Amrit, and Dave.
When I got laid off, I was devastated. But, over time, I realized that it provided me with the “forced” enjoyment of my life. In the end, it seemed that it was really a Force of Nature; it was the first time in my life that I truly got to enjoy my life.
I guess I could have held a grudge against my new-old company; however, the sum of the parts (the people I knew there) was greater than the corporate whole. I had learned a few years ago that it was always a good idea to let things go.
If truth be told, I had let events eat away at me in the past. It bothered me for so long that my Dad’s girlfriend was not there with him when he died; she hid up in his room. My sister said to me wisely, “Don’t let Anne rent space in your head,” and she was right.
Certainly, you can be angry, upset, and frustrated about something for a while. But, most times, it’s best just to let it go. It’s far greater to lose that kind of emotion from your life sometimes than it is to keep it and lose yourself in it.
When I walked to my office, I passed an engineer, who smiled at me and said “Hi.” He was one of the 15 or so people who stopped by my office the first week I was there. The common verbal theme behind all those visits was “I’m so glad you’re back.”
Once in my office, I booted up my laptop. When I saw some pages from an Installation Guide I had just sent out for review on my chair, I smiled. It was so good to be back.
While I eventually wallowed happily in my time off, I was still like Iz's marigold in the bay window, a thirsty plant that needed sunlight and nourishment. If my new-old company cancelled my contract tomorrow, my time spent in my 6x6 cubicle would still be worth it. In only a month, my friends at my new-old work made me blossom; and if I left tomorrow, it would all be worth it just for the group hug I felt I received from everyone while there. ♥
I Get By with a Little Help from My Friends Note: At 2pm today, I got an email from Barbara, which said “Delivery at the front desk.” I replied and asked, “Is it George Clooney?” She responded with, “LOL!”
I was a wine glass half empty kind of chick. I thought, “It’s the police with my rhinestone-studded handcuffs here to arrest me making Iz bathe every night!” I then thought, “Or it’s George Clooney’s lawyer, who is going to serve me with a verbal restraining order for mentioning him too much in last night’s blog.”
As I climbed down the stairs, I peered over the side. I saw a beautiful arrangement of pink roses. I thought, “Jeez. Is that for me?”
When I climbed down the last flight, I said to Barbara, “So, where’s George?” I had given her flowers a few times, because she was a very flower-deserving being. She immediately said, “They’re not from me!”
She asked, “Who are they from?” Then she said quickly, “I could have opened the card, but I didn’t.” I laughed, opened the card, and then I showed it to her.
The card read, “To my favorite tech-writer, congratulations on meeting your deadline.” She asked, “Who do you think it is?” I answered, “I have no idea!”
I carried the beautiful flowers back up to my office. I put them on my desk; the smell of the roses was incredible. Barbara came by later and said, “I just want to smell them. They’re so you.” Of course they were; they were pink.
Anyway, I questioned the usual suspects. No one would confess. I sense that I need to watch a few more episodes of CSI, Law & Order, and maybe even a Columbo or two to crack the case; until then, it remains a lovely mystery; and, thank you so much for the mystery whoever you are. ♥
1 comment:
Maybe your detective skills are getting rusty because instead of soaking up Law and Orders you are once again a professional write and darn proud of it!! Wish I had been the one to send them, but alas, I lack imagination (except when trying to extract tupperware from under a drawer) You deserved the beautiful flowers, and I kinda hope you dont figure out who sent them - the mystery is fun!!
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