IYQ

Some weeks events occur in my life, and I think to myself, “Hmm. This reminds me of something.” If I think a bit harder, a quote usually comes to mind. From week-to-week, it seems that my life has a short script that it has chosen to follow; this week, my life had two scripts, and they were, “If you love something, set it free” and “When the Great Cat Goddess closes a door, somewhere she opens a window.”

Yesterday, I had lunch with my former co-workers. Oddly, they were all working elsewhere, and I was now back working where we had all once worked together. It had been an adjustment going back to our old company, especially because the technical writing department had gone from over 10 people when I last worked there to just little old me now.

As I sat there on the bench waiting outside the restaurant, I saw Tom and Brenda walking down from the far end of the parking lot. Brenda was smiling and laughing, and Tom was, too; I knew if Tom was smiling and laughing that they probably weren’t talking about cats! Just then I saw Nancy get out of her car, though her car hid her from their view. She walked out from behind her car and began to walk toward the restaurant.

Brenda must have shouted to her. Nancy abruptly stopped, turned around, and waited for them to catch up to her. They all began to walk together; as they walked, I couldn't help but look at them all and smile.

Sarah had not arrived yet, but as Nancy, Brenda, and Tom walked, they epitomized “Love Walks In.” Then strangely, as they got closer, and only because I am strangely quirky, I was reminded of the introductions to Charlie’s Angels and Monkees. The good guys were approaching me, and I knew that I was going to feel cared for and laugh my head off for the next hour.

I had discovered many things this last year. If you do love something, you can set if free, so they say, and it will come back to you. I also found that sometimes unemployment sets you free from people you love. But, these wonderful people do come back to you quite wonderfully.

While everyone was friendly and glad to see me at my new-old place of work, I felt a bit alone being the US-based technical writing department of one. Of course, I had two really good friends at my new-old work, but they obviously they weren’t in my department of one, because then I’d be a department of three! Surprisingly, the door had closed on my department last year, but it seemed this week that the Great Cat Goddess opened a window to let in new-old friendships.

I had always been friendly with Lisa, a woman who worked in the cafeteria, though now that I was back, I really looked forward to when she came to refill the kitchen refrigerator with soda, and we chatted. Over time, we discovered that she lived next-door to a woman that Brenda was friends with at her new job, and her daughter, an MP, was stationed at Bagram in Afghanistan where one of my friends was a Lieutenant Colonel in the MPs. By Thursday of this week, Lisa and I had formed a new small world together.

Yesterday afternoon, I received an email from a marketing writer I had first met when I went to a trade show our company attended; see “What Goes on in Vegas at a Trade Show, Stays with You in the Form of Blisters on Your Feet.” Anyway, like most, he had been laid off last year, and like me, he had been hired back. We chatted back and forth, and he told me that he’d stop by sometime.

I told him that I’d welcome a visit, because my only cube neighbor was a very driven and focused auditor who never said more than “Good morning” or “Good night” to me. He said, “OK, now I feel bad for you. I’ll stop by and say Hi and a few more words before I leave.” I asked, “Oh, jeez, am I that pathetic sounding?”

He was on the second floor, and I was sitting on the prestigious third floor. Like my high school cafeteria, it had long seemed that where you sat was directly related to your status in the company. Yes, I really didn’t belong on the third floor; I’m sure it’s a mistake, and they really meant for me to be working in my car in the parking lot by the dumpster!

Anyway, I told him to stop by if he had the time; if he didn’t, I told him I’d stalk him next week. We had already tried to tell each other where our cubes were located; I was by the bear that looked like a printer, and he was by the conference room named after Plymouth Rock. Being one to make light of, well, just about everything and especially about status, I added, “I hear that on the second floor you have magic shows, ceramics classes, and meerkats roam the halls freely. On the third floor, we only have old phonebooks, stale popcorn, and grumpy executives roam the halls freely.

He replied, “That’s too funny. I’ll have to check out the meerkats before they farm that out to rats on stilts.” I laughed out loud. I knew I had rediscovered a new-old friend; I then handed him a verbal friendship bracelet and said, “We should write a comedy together!”

On my first day of work, no one seemed happier to see me than Barbara, the receptionist. She is also a clown; no, she’s not a “a rude or vulgar fool. She is a professional clown!

Whenever she’d pass by me, she’d say, “There she is,” “It’s so nice to see you,” or “It’s like you never left,” when she breezed by my office earlier this week. Whenever I came back to run while still unemployed, she’d whisper, “So, do you have a job yet?” I always liked Barbara very much, but I never really got to know her that well.

In the short time I had been back, she was really the one who made me feel like I had never left. When I was grocery shopping one night this week, I went by the flower section; I perused the roses. Then it dawned on me that I really did know Barbara well, because there she was staring me right in the face in the floral department.

The next morning, I walked into the reception area. Barbara smiled as I walked over to her desk and said, “Those are beautiful!” I plunked the vase of a dozen yellow roses down on her desk, and I said, “These are for you. Thank you for making me feel so welcome and like I never left.”

She seemed surprised. She told me how beautiful they were, and then said, “Thank you!’ I said, “No, thank you, Barbara.”

When I arrived this morning, Barbara saw me and said, “Hey. I’ve got something for you.” I walked over to her desk, and she handed me a wooden red heart; it was a pin.

Totally surprised by the gesture, I said, “Thank you!” She said, “Read it.” And, I did.



After I read it out loud, she quickly said, "I like you, too!"

As I said, I have discovered many things this last year. I knew there was no going back sometimes to the way things were; however, I knew there was a way to go back and discover new things, especially friends. There was always room for friends, new and old, and “IYQ” all so very much. ♥

Where in the World is Nathan Note: At 1:30pm, my IM blinked; it was Nathan. I didn’t know where he was and all he said in regard to that was “found Internet.” I asked him where he was, and then said that his Dad had called last night to ask me if I heard from him; I told him that I told his Dad he was okay, well, okay as Nathan ever would be. Nathan said, “Ha, ha. Sweet.”

After a five-hour bus ride through Slovakia, they had arrived in “Polska,” as Nathan referred to it, 20 minutes ago. He added that Krakow looks amazing.” I knew my time was limited, and I wouldn’t be a Mom if I didn’t ask at least one Mom-type question, which I knew I must hide under the guise of a non-Mom-type question.

I asked, “Is everything good so far? How's the beer?” He said, “It turns out I still hate beer.” Moms, try this trick question at home; I expected him to say, “The trip is fine,” and ignore the beer question, but he was a fly in my web of Motherhood!

He then said he was off to dinner. I asked if Kielbasa was tonight’s fare, and he said, “Dunno. Bye.” I typed quickly, “Bye! I love you, and I miss you so much. xoxoxxoxo” but then I saw that his IM light went dim, and I said to myself, “I love you, too.” ♥