I'm back in Montana...and unemployed for the second time in 2009. Wow, I must really suck. Perhaps I have a future in a job where I wear a name tag. Quite a few people have asked me what happened. I'm not going to try to explain it on Facebook...and I'm not even going to attempt to explain it here either. Because:
1) I'm not 100% sure myself. Really.
2) Trying to explain it would take me an hour to write and you 10 minutes to read. And it would just make me look (and feel) like a victim. I refuse to go there.
3) There's great people that work at that station and I would never do anything that could possibly hurt anyone there or reflect badly - even indirectly.
I will say this much. I committed to them (at great sacrifice to myself, not to mention great hardship to my wife). And I disagree vigorously with the (very weak and Catch-22ish) reason given for my termination. The dismissal was awkward and botched. Hell, I'm pretty sure I have given more thought to what socks I should wear on occasion than the thought that went in to my exit.
And I'm proud of how I embraced Milwaukee...I went to several concerts (indoors and outside) and several Brewers games...to the Domes and the Milwaukee Art Museum...saw movies at 4 different "neighborhood" theatres....went to the Rep Theatre...participated in Aids Walk....even volunteered regularly at Animal Control. I enjoyed eating at Italian, Vietnamese and German restaurants. I walked (and rode my bike) miles and miles through various neighborhoods. I joined a great health club. Oh there were times when I sat in my puny apartment (furnished as if I was back in college) and wondered what the hell I was doing there...but I clearly embraced my new city and never would have simply bailed out on the company that hired me just a few months ago and moved me across the country.
So yeah, I feel a bit silly about the very things I said here a few months ago. Comparing non-profits to corporations and all that. Well, I'm not going to get too down on myself for being excited about a new job in an era of 10% unemployment. Just another lesson learned by a guy who keeps thinking that he's too old to learn new things and keeps getting proved wrong.
Finally...it feels great to be back in Montana...as I have also said on these pages before - my wife and I have made sacrifices to get here and to (try and) stay here - so I'm going to enjoy Montana. Again.
You have been unemployed twice this year and I have been unemployed for (almost) 2 years, so if you really suck, I guess that means I really REALLY suck! It doesn't really matter why you were released from your job in Cheeseland. As you wrote, you made the most of your time there and got to see and be part of a lot of what makes it a place that you decided you could live in, in the first place! I know I speak for more than just myself when I say, I'm glad you're back. This has been a year of travel for us both, my friend!
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