One year later: Still smiling

One year later, I’m still smiling.

Nov. 14, 2013 was a massively huge day for me. It was a day where a more than two-year nightmare ended for me.

It was a day when my unemployment ended.

I’ve documented my two-plus years on this blog more than once. In fact, this blog was a massive help for me during that span. It gave me a creative outlet and a way to continue to write. But the road was long. I didn’t get interviews, and those where I did get them, I felt like things were already stacked against me.

Heck, I couldn’t even get interviewed at some of the big box chain stores. Imagine that?

Then my current job came along. Everything happened fast. There was the interview and the next day an offer. I accepted, of course. And a few days later, I started.

Just like that.

I consider myself lucky to have gotten into this position. The service I am part of is growing and we actually just hired another person. Hopefully that’s a sign of more and more growth.

As for me, I’ve grown professionally and personally over the last year. I smile more. I truly do feel like I found something that was waiting for me. And I’ve learned. Oh, how I’ve learned.

I work in the communications field, as many of you know. But though I dabbled in some PR, my background has been, for the most part, newspaper journalism. And I was pretty good at it, too. I’m not always a “self-back patter” but I won several awards and had grown so much over a seven-year stay at a daily newspaper.

But the reality is, newspapers are not what they once were. Daily papers get thinner, circulations are shrinking – almost as fast as paychecks – and it’s not a profession that it once was. I still read newspapers because it’s something I always believed in. But the amount of errors on a daily basis in many (typos, headlines wrong, bad information, etc.) makes me cringe. Many newspapers don’t keep up with the times and technology, either, which then makes them “yesterday’s news.”

Times are a changing, that’s for sure.

And, now, I’m on the opposite end. I’m flipped. I’m in the PR/communications side of things. I work with websites and social media and releases on a regular basis. PR is no longer just about feeding a newspaper or radio station a story. It’s about drawing readers and others to your media sites. It’s about showing the story, not necessarily digging for other things.

And I have loved it.

I’ve learned many things over this year, from budgets to educational battles, to working on events and making many contacts in the community or political world. You really run the gamut. All the while, I still believe in working with the traditional news sources and getting them information they need.

This past Friday was the one-year anniversary of being offered (and accepting) the job. I started a year ago tomorrow. I was nervous, excited and everything else in between. Since then, I’ve grown and will continue to grow.

It’s amazing what happens when you land on your feet in a place where you feel you are part of something special. I am excited with the future and what it will bring. I love where I am in life, and the past will never destroy me as it made me realize many things I will use for the rest of my career – and life.

One year ago, things changed – for the better. I’m a better person for it all, too, as I now don’t take things for granted. It can end in a moment and without you ever having a clue it was coming.

Today, take a deep breath wherever you are. Smile. Realize the world could be much worse. Take a moment to look around. Being alive is a gift in itself, so always keep that in mind.

For a couple of the posts I had about my unemployment run and finding a job, finally, follow the links below:

• The tunnel opens: Nov. 15, 2013
• Seasonal work helps me: May 9, 2013
• One year reflection: February 12, 2012
• Ups and downs: Nov. 16, 2011
• Using social networks in the job hunt: July 19, 2011
• Death of a newspaperman: Feb. 14, 2011

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