Monday, March 27, 2006
First Day, Fresh Start
Last night you would have thought I would have been on pins and needles. You would have thought that I would have been too excited that I wouldn't been able to sleep. It was the eve of my first day on the new job as a writer, researcher and editor with the public relations firm. It's the start of something new and perhaps something big in my "career" as a writer. Instead, my mood was a bit melancholy as thoughts, other than the job, swelled inside my head.
What frustrated me more yesterday, was the fact that I was itching to write. I'm still behind on a couple of articles for the developing website for Shekinah Publishing, but I couldn't scribble not one syllable. The weekend was perfect. I had the house to myself and there was no one but me, and still in the midst of the mellow atmosphere, I couldn't get my thoughts out.
By the time I got ready for bed last night, I just wrote everything off as a serious case of writer's block. Now as I'm writing this, I'm wondering was this writer's block a concealed symptom of being nervous? What did surprise me was the fact that, through my attempts to not wake up as early as 5:30 this morning, I still woke up at 5:30.... well about 5:45. Before, when I was working the temp job, I was getting up that early to stay ahead of the horrendous traffic that plagues the DC area. Although getting to where I had to go, Alexandria, Virginia, isn't not far from DC, the morning (and evening) commute is no joke.
Nevertheless, despite my natural alarm clock, I lingered in bed until around 7. I got myself together and headed out the door with my mother. A few minutes later I was dropped off at a subway station. My grandmother and I are still sharing her car, but she decided to take it back for the time being. I don't mind. Afterall, it is her car and right now she needs it more than I do. However, where the firm is located, no matter which subway station I come from along the Capitol Hill routes, it's still a good hike to the firm.
Even though I'm a bit spoiled by the luxuries of a car, somehow I didn't mind the morning walk. Spring is starting to peer through the winter layer that seems to hover over this region. The morning air was crisp, but I could smell and taste spring. Don't ask, but for some reason spring always smell like cotton candy and but tasted like pollen to me. With my Ipod pumping my favorite songs and everything looking lovely, I couldn't help but to have some kind of joy flowing through me.
My whole commute took me about an hour. Ten minutes on the train and the rest of the time walking from the SE side of Capitol Hill (Eastern Market) to the NE side where the firm is located. Ironically, it's only three blocks down from where I interned with the National Journalism Center a few years ago. I did get to work on time and actually met the president, Mr Yellow, of the company as he was just arriving.
(Mr. Yellow's eyes maybe hazel, but they give off this yellowish tone)
The day went by slow, but swell. Most of it was about filling out paperwork, reading over some material that I need to familiarize myself with; proposals, publications the company produces and etc., and just getting the feel of the atmosphere. I was asked to look over or proofread a spread design. What was a bit funny about that was when one of the design people saw me with it she came to me and asked "What are you doing with that?" I told her how Mr. Yellow asked me to go over it and she backed off, but not before returning few moments later. It was then she asked me to make sure that I kept the pages in order, but before she could get anything else out, girl who is working at the office manager told the girl to leave me alone and let me do my work.
I chuckled at the whole scene. I actually understood where the design person was coming from. She appears to be a bit sensitive about her work. I think I am the same way. Yet, after looking over the spread, it was actually neatly done. There was one page that I wasn't too sure about, because it appeared to be a bit cluttered with graphics and all, but after reviewing it several times it actually looked fine. There were no mistakes....so far.
During the course of the day, I conversed with the office manager and asked her basic questions about the place, the feel of the place and how does she like working there and so forth. From our conversation, I gathered that the environment, even though it is "boutique style," it's still like any other work place with the ups and down, but there seems to be a balance. The only thing she has had a problem with was in trying to read Mr. Yellow. She was just preaching to the choir with that one, because I couldn't read him at all during my interview with him. At least during my first interview with the other lady writer, there was repore, interaction.
As the office manager put it, sometimes Mr. Yellow can come across in a cold stand-offish way. There is no warmth, but he isn't harsh neither. It's not that he means to, but it is just who he is. She said the hard part for her in the beginning was trying to figure out what he wanted. Overall she feels that the job has served as a good learning experience for her and that Mr. Yellow is actually a cool person to work for. It's just when she can't read him and has to pick his brain that she gets frustrated.
However in saying all of this, she will be leaving the company in a few days. It's nothing bad reflected on the firm, but just as I felt with my government job, she is feeling with hers. I had to laugh a little at the ironing I saw while talking to her. For one, both of us seem to be around the same age. Secondly, she struggled with school just as I had, but now she is looking to graduate in December. Thirdly, she is embarking on new things in her life. She is going through a transition, as I am currently immersed in.
As little or as much as I have gotten to know her today, when she told me the news about her departure I was actually a bit sadden to hear it. However, I understood where she was coming from fully and gave her well wishes.
Besides talking about Mr. Yellow's mode of operation, we did discuss other essential things. Paydays are weekly, but there is no direct deposit. Call me a bit spoiled from working in the government, but direct deposit became my best friend. Who has time to go to the bank every week to make a deposit? The dress code is casual. I can where jeans if I wanted! I did feel a bit over dressed today as I walked in with black slacks, a black top and some heels that I changed into after my morning commute. Everyone else was in jeans. Even Mr. Yellow was in some sweats until he changed into a suit for an outside meeting with a client.
Because I am on a part time schedule for about 60 days, my day ends at 3 pm. I left out feeling the warmth of the day and actually cracking a smile to myself. Somehow, my walk back to the Eastern Market station didn't seem as long as coming from it. With my Ipod pumping my favorite tunes, walking through Capitol Hill felt as if I were walking through a scene on a movie or something. The feeling I felt was weird. A sense of newness hit me.
Indeed, I'm still transitioning.
Posted by KomplexPhemale ::
9:46 PM ::
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