Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Signing on the dotted line

I knew this day was coming.
The email arrived almost two weeks ago, alerting Ann Arbor News employees that, within the next day or two, a letter containing the details of our severance package would be coming in the mail.
Two days later, two envelopes – one containing a letter from publisher Laurel Champion, the other holding the terms of my severance – came in the Saturday mail.
There, in contract form, where the specifics of my departure from the newspaper where I have spent nearly the past five years of my career.
In previous weeks, I had done my best to focus on life after The Ann Arbor News. What would I do? Where would I work? Where would money come from?
But as I read through the contents of the two envelopes, one thing came to mind. 
This was a short-term fix. Short-term meaning a matter of weeks that I could expect to continue receiving money from the newspaper.
Within five weeks, the money would stop, the benefits would disappear and if, I hadn't found my next career stop, we would be on our own.
Earlier this week, I sat in an hour-long meeting. My co-workers and I sat in a large conference room having our severance packages explained to us by the publisher and head of human resources.
There were questions. Concerns. Frustrations.
Ah, to be right in the middle of limbo once again.

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