When I was younger, thinking in terms of a span of 20 years seemed like such a long time. It felt like it took me forever and a day to reach my 20th birthday. My impression of people who spoke of things they did 20 years ago: they were old.
Guess what? Today I'm officially old by my own standards.
June 19, 1989. I walked into the law offices of Steefel, Levitt & Weiss at the Embarcadero Center in San Francisco to start my new job in my new home. I had just celebrated my 27th birthday, gotten over a bad divorce and only knew 2 people who lived in the Bay Area. What the hell was I thinking?
I was thinking that I needed to stand on my own two feet and be my own person. I didn't want to be referred to as "his" ex-wife any more. My family was extremely supportive of my new "single" life, but I needed to prove to myself that I could be independent and not call on them every time a spider crossed my path. I had lots of friends, but I needed new friends who judged me for being me and who didn't feel sorry for me for the drama I had been through in the previous 2 years.
I'll never forget that morning. I arrived early (of course!), and waited in the reception area with 4 other women who were also starting their first day at SLW. All legal secretaries of varying experience. We all nervously sat there, wondering what the day would bring. There was Patrice, a sharply dressed girl who didn't say much; Marilyn, a British girl that I had a hard time understanding (Cajun and British accents are both hard to understand - she had a hard time understanding me, too!); one girl that I can't remember her name (the mind is the first to go when you're old!); and Debra, a drop-dead gorgeous blond mother of three - who is still my good friend today.
That day, my new, exiciting life began. I often wonder what my life would be like today if I hadn't taken that big step - would I still be working at the same law firm I left? Who would be in my inner circle of friends? Would I have met, fell in love and married the new man of my dreams?
One thing that I did not anticipte that day: the truly wonderful friends I have made over the past 20 years. There are so many of them that it would take me forever to list them here, but you all know who you are and just in case you were wondering, I love you all and thank you for being my friend (uh-oh, there goes the theme song from "The Golden Girls" in my head!) Without all of you, I would not be the woman I am today.
I do miss my family terribly, but thanks to today's technology, I get to socialize with them on a daily basis, something that I couldn't do 20 years ago.
Funny how life is cyclical. 20 years ago, I was nervous about starting a new job. Today, I'm once again nervous about starting a new job (and let's not talk about finding one!).
Until Next Time,
Kel
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