Rogues' Gallery

I wore this outfit on my last day of work at HMH. All day, I was cleaning out my office and coming close to tears. I've been there four years, and I loved that job. I've never loved a job before. But it's time to move on. I emailed my authors, I sent out a goodbye email to my colleagues, and I started emailing myself some contacts. Andrea sent me a sweet, sad email, and I wanted to respond, but leaving Andrea is the most painful part of this split. She's challenged me so much, made me a better person, and I still have a bit of a platonic crush on her. I'll email her plenty later. Around 5 p.m., George came and sweetly said goodbye to me. I'll know George forever. Around 5:30 p.m., my network access was taken away, and then Brigid came and offered to share a cab home. That woman is so sweet, and also so smart, and I will miss listening to her crazy-making plans in meetings. I carried my bags into my apartment and spooned with the Colonel, who always senses my weakness and knows when to move in. I felt myself go into the paralysis I experience whenever I'm going through a trauma. I was weak as a kitten, and couldn't bring myself to call anyone, but I managed to text a couple of people. Mike responded and said he was going to 1st and 1st. Chris responded and said he would meet me there. I met up with Mike, and Chris arrived soon after. Mike had a dinner for his birthday after, and couldn't hang out for long, and Chris wanted to go home. But he walked me to 3rd Avenue and 14th Street, at which point a bus was waiting - right there! - and whisked me home. I took off this outfit (here it is lying, emptied, on my bed) and thought about how, earlier that day, I had amused myself by wearing a Rogues' Gallery shirt to my last day at HMH. Life is a rogues' gallery, and sometimes I feel like the biggest rogue. My friends are all rogues, too, and today, a few of them may have saved my life: George, Andrea, Brigid, Mike, Chris, and everyone I know and thought of today - I love you all.