“GOOD MORNING, GOOD AFTERNOON, GOOD EVENING AND GOODNIGHT

I knew I would be writing this post eventually, considering that I am switching gears in my career plans. However, I did not think I would be writing it so soon. Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen circumstances, I will no longer be able to work at The Post. Today, January 4, 2019, is my last day and so this tidbits will be my last tidbits. When I started this job on May 3, 2016, I had no idea what to expect. I thought that I would come in, write some articles and go home. I did that, and then some. I had the opportunity to go to different city council meetings, get to see how they work and get to know our city leaders. I had an opportunity to attend a press briefing for Magical Winter Lights and get a look at what to expect. I got to speak to United Way Galveston County Mainland and United Way Of Galveston and learned about all the work they do to help the community. I got to go to AMOCO Federal Credit Union and witness the unveiling of a time capsule which was sealed in 2005. I got to witness third graders from Heights Elementary School joining veterans and putting flags on the graves of veterans. I got to go to various Texas City – La Marque community advisory council meetings and learn about the different industries in these cities. I got to go to a meeting discussing the 10-year transportation plan for Houston and its surrounding areas. I got to interview various businesses on Texas City’s Sixth Street including, but not limited to, Campeche’s Coffee, Hey Mikey’s and Bake Me A Dream. I got to talk to so many interesting individuals and businesses who are all a great benefit to the Galveston County community. But most of all, I got to keep all of you informed about the goings-on in and around your cities. I got to meet so many amazing people, either through my interviews or through the different events I attended. I am so thankful for these opportunities and so grateful for the experiences I gained and the people I met. When I started this job, believe it or not, I was very shy and introverted. I hated even doing something as simple as pick up the phone and talk to someone. I would always email the person first, wait a few days for a response, and then call them. But as the days went on I became more confident and soon picking up the phone and talking to a complete stranger was a non-issue. So I have this job to thank for making me more confident. I have this job to thank for making me a better writer. And I have this job to thank for getting me out of my comfort zone. But it’s not only the job that I have to thank, but the people I worked with. I can honestly say that I have amazing co-workers. There was never a day that I woke up and felt discouraged from going to work. Even if I was super tired, I still was happy to drag myself out of bed and make my way over here, because I love the people I work with. Everyone at The Post plays an important role in making the paper what it is and I am so grateful to have met them and worked with them. To my Post family, thank you for letting me be a part of your team. You are all getting invites to my wedding (whenever that is). I won’t ever forget you and I won’t let you forget me because I’ll probably drive up here just to say hello. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting to have to leave so early. So I did have another tidbits column planned. But as I was writing this one, I realized that I can intertwine the two topics. This last month I was in a not-so-good place in my life. Even though I had got my first Master’s Degree and received a straight A streak in all my classes, while working full time, I still felt discouraged. I was comparing my life and where I am now to other people my age. And I was getting discouraged that I wasn’t where I thought I would be and should be by age 25. But then I had a long talk with myself – I do that sometimes – and I realized I shouldn’t compare my life to anyone else’s. If I look at my life alone I am in a good spot. I have a Master’s Degree. I am soon starting a program where I will earn a second Master’s Degree. I have a family and friends who love me and care about me. I have been accepted to start substituting so I can get a feel for the classroom and what being a teacher is all about. I have a roof over my head, food to eat and water to drink. I have the funds to go out on weekends with my friends to lunch and a movie. I have privilege and I have opportunities. And I may not be established in my career quite yet but I am still in school and, if all goes well and to plan, I will be established within a year. And until then, while I’m finishing off school, I can substitute and work part-time to get a feel for the career path I am taking. New Year’s Resolutions have been a thing since the beginning of time. And I used to do them as well. But I would never go through with my resolutions, regardless of what they were. So for 2019 I decided my only resolution is to be happy and to make choices in my life that I am happy with. I’m trying to look at the positive side of things, because so often I’ve been looking at the negative. There are so many things in my life that I am concerned about and stressed about and after spending, like, five years stressing to no avail, I decided enough is enough. As a character from one of my recent favorite movies said “worrying means you suffer twice.” I don’t want to suffer even once. So I am living with the notion that everything happens for a reason and that whatever happens in my life – even if it seems horrible at first – is always for the best. And I can say this with confidence because everything in my life has always worked out exactly how I wanted it to. So leaving this job already was unexpected and I am sad about it, but there has to be a reason for it. The man upstairs is working his magic and I am here for the journey of life that I am on. So, with that, I’ll bring this to a close. I’d like to thank all of you for joining me on this journey. I would like to thank you for reading all my columns and articles. For anyone I interviewed, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to speak to me. To anyone I crossed paths with, I’d like to express my joy at meeting you. And as Richard Lawrence Belford said “it’s not goodbye, it’s see you later.”