Fifteen Years

When I began working at the newspaper exactly 15 years ago today, my oldest child was 18, the youngest was 12. Kids in high school, sports, plays, parties. No I can't go getting nostalgic. It's not good for me.

Uncherished

My friend was weeping and heartbroken. She felt all alone and abandoned, left to cope with their three children single-handedly. Where was her husband?
No not playing golf, watching football or working. He was upstairs playing computer games, role-playing computer games. He was so consumed with playing the games he was ignoring his wife. Oh he would not say he was ignoring her. But unlike golf, football, working, or a thousand other things, playing computer games seems like nothing. To my friend, it seemed she was so not worth her husband's time that he preferred the mindlessness of a computer game. As if he wanted to escape her and needed an excuse.
When she wanted to talk to him, it was to the back of his head. Or to his face, but he never looked up from the screen, never gave her his attention.

Quitting my job

So I've been working at the Daily News-Record for 15 years as a staff writer and I'm launching out into the free-lance world. I hope to spend time in more literary pursuits. My column, however, will continue. It's a bit scary, but exciting. Can I make a living writing what I want rather than what I'm told to write? We'll see.