Ch-ch-changes

Just over 11 years ago, my friends and I got laid off from the big high-tech company we all worked for. Our group produced audio, video and live broadcast training for the sales force. Some in our group came from creative professions prior to their corporate jobs or had creative side work – acting, singing, doing radio, writing. Some, like me, were just trying to find a way to make a living in the corporate world that wasn’t entirely soul-robbing. I found that – and some enduring friendships to boot.

For many of us have stayed friends in the years since we flew the corporate nest. And many of us have gone through interesting changes in the past decade. I was thinking about this when I was on Cape Cod with MJ and T, both of whom I met at that corporate job. MJ became a full-time mom with two adopted kids, the oldest with severe ADHD that requires pretty constant monitoring. She’s become a dedicated mom and incredibly patient, perhaps aided recently by spending the entire summer three blocks from the beach! It was very restful to visit her. T is a jazz singer and was working full-time as a publicist for years, but has recently semi-retired to spend more time with her daughter and two young grandchildren. We celebrated her 58th birthday, which was actually last month; somewhere in her basement there’s a painting that’s growing very old indeed because she hasn’t aged one bit. (Eleven years ago, we celebrated T's birthday by five of us skinny dipping at midnight elsewhere more private on the Cape! But that's another story...)

Others of us are still working, though in different capacities than we expected. Martha has gone from corporate writer to professional fitness trainer while managing the demands of a busy family. Carol still does corporate writing – we’re working on a project together now – but has also written a novel and is teaching hula (with an MA in Polynesian languages, she’s finally doing professional work in the field she trained in). I’ve been freelancing all these years and enjoy it, despite the struggles over the past three years of bad economic times, and trying to stretch myself creatively as well.

Everyone seems to have developed some perspective on their lives. Only one or two of us remain in the corporate rat race, most having dropped out in some way, shape or form. Yesterday, T talked about having several friends die recently, two of whom she was with as they took their last breaths, and how it’s made her very grateful for life. Many of us are at an age when our parents are old and dying, too, so we’re looking at what’s most important to us and making adjustments – to enjoy life more, to flex unused talents, to apply ourselves creatively, and/or to nourish and relish our relationships. It continues to be an interesting journey.

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