Return to the Improbability

I've been taken lately with puffins. I don't know why, perhaps because they're so stinkin' cute.

In a fiction tale I've been reading, the protagonist finds a wounded puffin and takes him home. The vet advises her to return the bird to the flock once his wounds are healed. 

A puffin being separated from the rest of his improbability (which is what a group of puffins is called) started me thinking about the past week. And the 24 months preceding it.

As most of you know, I was "separated" from my job of 25+ years in 2019. Since then, I've been looking for full-time employment in my field with little success. Initially, I didn't make the cut because no one believed I could write about anything but jewelry. 

Fortunately, a friend brokered a gig with a small company that does website design. I was able to write web content, learning a little something about SEO along the way, and thus boost my experience. 

Then Covid came along. And, well, you all know what that was like.

Thankfully, Axel took me in and let me work at Enjoy Again, where I learned to convert video tapes to DVD and MP4 files. This was a godsend, enabling Mr. Ginley and me to enjoy all the luxuries of life, like eating, keeping warm, making car payments, etc. In my time with Axel, I learned not only how to convert old media, but to fix broken VHS tapes and get fussy equipment to work (yes, I talked to them).

Also, I saw people's memories flash by in the form of births (not my favorite), school plays, sporting events, concerts, Christmases, First Communions, Disney vacations and a few Bar Mitzvahs. It was a great experience, and I'm thankful to Axel for the opportunity. Also, I will miss working at the ranch, although I won't miss some of the wildlife. (When he told me one day, "I don't know where the mouse went," I had to consider whether he meant the furry variety or the computer device.) 

Axel's been a great boss. I will miss the beer, the ice cream treats and the Friday evening German bar song. 

Meanwhile, in the past few months, with the easing of Covid restrictions, more jobs started popping up. One of those was from OuterBox, looking for an SEO Content Writer. The interview I had with them was the first I'd had where I said, "I really, really want to work there."

I started this week. And it's been great. 

Returning to the puffin thing (I know you were wondering), joining OuterBox feels like coming home. It's great to be writing full-time again. And there is so much energy, intelligence and quick wit among my coworkers. 

I really missed engaging with other creative writers, and I can't tell you how much I am enjoying the experience. And hanging with others who appreciate my sense of snark. Although I don't know much about gaming or modern music, I like listening in.

It's great to be part of the improbability once again.