Between Successes

Nowadays I am taking life one step at a time. Fairly fresh from a layoff as a marketing director for a nonprofit association, I finally learned—the hard way—that life offers no guarantees and I am not indispensable. Jobs aren’t forever. Nothing is forever. And, while I was blindsided this time, I won’t be again.

Life is fluid, and it ebbs and flows like the stream that runs to the river near our neighborhood. As my sage older brother intones, “Life rushes by.” This maxim is his call to action, his way to viewing how he spends his discretionary time, and I’ve adopted it too.

Professionally, I’m “between successes,” but I like to think that each day will be a success in at least some small way. For instance, earlier this week I tripped in D.C. and nearly landed in the street on Connecticut Avenue, but I caught myself on the rim of a trash bin on the sidewalk and managed to avoid a disastrously twisted ankle. Now, is that a success? Well, it’s a small one.

I also met some very interesting people where I was heading before I almost fell. The morning event, which included a primer in getting a government job, turned out to be a rewarding experience overall. As a plus, I was able to help two fellow jobseekers that day with ideas and connections that were new to them, and I took my first baby step towards tackling the government job hunt process. All of that makes the day a success, in my book.