Oh, the 2023 shenanegans, my friends.

So the best job I ever had? Is the one I’ve been going to for the last three years or so. I worked in ecommerce at a small business that sold party and event supplies. To be precise, the job lasted three years and 20 days. It ended officially last week on Friday, June 30th.

I loved my job. I loved my workplace and the work that I did in it. The people were amazing; we were like a family. It was a good company. Massive efforts were made to save it all throughout the spring, practically from the beginning of the year. Dramatic rescue options were floated. Sacrifices were made. In the end, though, the business wasn’t salvageable. I’m filing for unemployment on Monday.

Weirdly, when I reflect back on this wonderful job, it feels like a dream, like it never happened in real life. Like I spent the last three years sound asleep… and now I’ve woken up in a reality in which the company never actually existed.

But it did exist, and it’s sad that it’s gone under.

I’ll tell you what I’m not sad about, though. I’m not sad that I’m getting 7+ hours of sleep now. Neither will I be upset when it’s winter and my ass won’t be getting up and leaving the house in the dark and cold. I’ve decided that the next job I hold is going to be remote. When I get back to work, I plan to work from home in some capacity or another.

Also, I must admit that it’s great to be able to run (whatever) errands at any time, and to make appointments for any day without checking a calendar and requesting the time off two weeks in advance. For instance, I was able to stroll into my optometrist’s office yesterday (as a walk-in) to select new glasses frames.

These are the ones that I chose:

Glasses re-style 2023

And of course I believe in applicable adages in addition to the silver linings I’ve stated above.

I believe that when one door closes, another one opens.

I believe that when you carry heavy things, you get stronger.

2023 has been hella heavy. Starting on January 2nd, there’s been four deaths. The demise of my company. A catastrophic medical event that left a loved one blind. Another loved one suffered a devastating situational mental health crisis. A vitamin of the horse pill variety dropped into my lung, causing severe pneumonia. The last six months have been messy with grief, stress, anxiety, and depression, and working out would’ve helped, but it was start-and-stop for one reason or another… and then the pneumonia happened (on May 12), wiping out my fitness plans completely. With all of this heaviness, I’ve done my mental strength training, and I’m ready to compete in a strongwoman contest. Sign me up!

[Side-note about my illness: the same day my job ended, my pulmonologist determined that my pneumonia has been resolved, and now I’m just contending with Reactive Airway Disease, which is a significant downgrade. I’ve been cleared to work out to the extent of my tolerance…!]

Despite all of this, there’ve been incredible, magickal, once-in-a-lifetime moments in 2023 – which I will share, in time – and there will be more. I’m excited for the future and for the creative projects I’ve got underway now, which I would not be able to do were I still working.

It’s the end of an era and the beginning of a new one. My work friends are now friend-friends (as far as I’m concerned), so we’ll keep in touch as we move forward along our respective paths. I don’t see my position now as limbo; I see it as a crossroads, and I’m lucky that I have the luxury of being able to hang out here for a while.

I’ll wish you all good-night now, thus sparing you further clichés. Have a magnificent day or evening, my friends. Until next time!