Thursday, January 24, 2008

C.O.B.D.O.A.

The Magazine I worked for went out of business. It's the second publication in the past year that I have worked for that has stopped its printers. No one is buying print ads anymore. Sad. Who knew I would graduate college a dinosaur. I think it's safe to say I've spent more time unemployed than I have working since I've graduated college.

I can go into the myriad of reasons the publication didn't make it: the selfish greed of its founders, the lack of marketplace interest, targeting the wrong clients.

After we'd removed the cancerous employees who were hurting our mission and morale, it seemed like we spent hour after hour on damage control and assuaging the few loyal clients we had left. The work wasn't arduous when I, for once, felt comfortable with my supervisors and support. We seemed to really become cohesive as a team. Though we knew we were struggling, we remained optimistic. The damage had been done.

Now I'm competing with people who have been laid off at Yahoo for our spot on the dole. Awesome.

I'm thinking about what to do next, certainly. My primary concern is figuring out where to
go. Costa Rica? I've never been to Central America. I doubt Costa Rica should be my first choice. I should really take this time to discover where my parents are from, Honduras. Maybe I'll try Mexico City or Arizona or Texas. I want to go some place I've never been. Create a new adventure worthy of my unexpected time off.