Well, dear readers it has truly been an interesting year. Some of what has happened I wish to never repeat! Others I can only dream of doing over and over again. For instance, 2014 started out with me finishing up my first book, a collection of short stories In The Apartments Next To Mine: the college collection. It was interrupted by injuring my big toe exercising. Wait! We started the year with a weekend getaway…
My wife and I took the two youngest kids with us to Atlantic city. Where my son, sort out his revenge on the seagulls for stealing his funnel cake the previous year. Then I hurt my toe!
I continued to work on the book, choosing a cover, color, size, font etc…until! Wait.. first we celebrated our grandchildren’s first birthday and then my daughter announced her wedding.
Then after going through life without a major surgery or breaking any bones…I broke my foot!! Like, “really ,now when my old (older) this couldn’t happen when I was 10!” I was down for 6 looooong weeks.
I letter came in the mail giving me an opportunity to work, which was fine I was tired of being home. However, I had no idea what I was getting into… I searched for ideas on how to promote the book. I had very little money ($300) and no contacts. I was just about to finish the last chapter editing when… Gout!!! What the heck is that?! I said. Apparently it’s an excruciating, painful, form of arthritis. See, these are the things I can do without repeating. First the left toe gets injured then the right foot breaks…and now that same foot falls victim to gout, which I thought was some strange, we need to cut off your foot disease.
It was so much pain that I couldn’t think right much less write. I was then informed by my doctor that I needed a colonoscopy! My response, Nooooo!
File that under, things I wish not to repeat. The experience was fine, no problems with the “procedure” but being forced to sleep while someone is tooling around your entrails is unsettling.
Well, I scheduled it for, after our family vacation then went home and wrote out my will.
I published the book and after a much needed rest and vacation I began my temporary clerk job…you know, the one I begged the Lord for. The grass is no greener on the other side. It was a city job, one of NY’s most coveted position, my mom worked 27 years for this city. One week in and I called her for advice on dealing with and navigating through, the mental stress and lack of decorum. I went from being overjoyed of having a little money to buy my wife something nice or that she needed, to sitting at the edge of my bed Every morning sharing out the window dreading going in. I’d get up 6 am, drop up my daughter at 7:50 am, arrive at 8:35 am and at 9 am the barrage of cursing from my supervisor would begin. “@$$# that, @! what anybody says. @$#! $@ that. Bring your @$$# to the office”
In all my years of working I have not seen such behavior. (Read my piece on bullying) During November, just after the election is when they start the mass layoffs… I have never been so miserable in the workplace in my life. Neither have I ever been so happy to be fired!… I got my letter last Friday. I told my wife I wouldn’t quit and as usual I did my job with excellence and if I were offered (they didn’t keep any freshman this season) a permanent position, I would have taken it. Yet, still I was happy to leave…
I’m upset at the lost of income and as a man, we feel this deeply. But I’m am more than thrilled to put my Thinking Cap on again and write. I started the first chapter of the new book in August but haven’t really had time to write…dear reader, I will try to NEVER complain about my life again. I like working for myself, I like starting my day in peace, it’s enjoyable, to use your own talent to create a business and a living. Of course, I’m competing millions of other authors for the same business but that’s what business is all about, even in the creative fields…
2014 ends with Christmas and New Year’s but in my mind it ended with a beautiful weekend getaway with my wife in Newport, RI. Anyway, my hat is back on and the words have begun to flow. Until next time…
Merry Christmas and I pray you have a blessed New Year.
T. Anthony Bland 