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My last conversation with my dad was a couple of weeks ago when I told him that I had gotten a position with a software company in Mount Pleasant called IDS. It was important to me to share this news with him because I knew that he would have been almost as relieved as I was to know that after a year long job search I was finally going to be employed. Having a job also means that I will be able to provide for my family much in the same way that my dad was always able to when I was growing up. IRead More →

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The weather on Saturday, October 31 was perfect for trick-or-treating. A lot of the time, the weather turns cold on Halloween, and the kids end up going out either in freezing weather, rain, snow, or a combination of the three. Halloween this year saw an evening with temperatures in the high 40’s, no precipitation, and lots of sun. It was also good to see that people in the Village of Shepherd were not deterred by the ongoing theat of Covid19. Lots of kids were out with their parents trick-or-treating. Ther residents passing out candy wore PPE styled masks, and even some of the trick-or-treaters didRead More →

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Thinking back to the different times that I’ve lost my job, I recalled that the first thing I needed to do was talk about it. The loss of a job can be damaging to one’s ego, especially if they view their position as a part of their identity. . When I learned to de-couple myself from my work and adopt a “Me, inc” mentality, it became easier for me. By that point, I was working at an organization I ended up staying with for 10 years. I promised myself that I would make the choice to leave before they chose for me. Then, things gotRead More →

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My first job after graduating from Central Michigan University was with an Internet Service Provider called HomeTown Online. The ISP was a subsidiary of the company which owned two local newspapers, HomeTown Newspapers. Our offices were located in the same building as the newsroom for the Livingston County Press, in Howell Michigan. As a fresh college graduate with a journalism degree, I was totally thrilled to be working just a few doors down from an actual newsroom. It’s true that my job had very little to do with news reporting, but that didn’t dissuade me. I thought I would be there for a long time.Read More →

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It was almost two o’clock in the afternoon, and my stomach was growling so loudly that I was pretty sure that Wendy could hear it. As we cruised down Alma’s business section towards Wendy’s apartment, I thought back to our conversation about Harry Potter. I had only invited Wendy to ride with me to the nature preserve because I had such a good time eating dinner with her that day I got punched in the gut. And, almost everybody had gone home for the summer, so I didn’t have very many other people who I could ask. But, my first impressions of her were thatRead More →

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One Inspired by the Reedsy Prompt “Summer Love, the quarantine edition.” View the story prompt here: https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/ I entered the main lobby of Sparrow Hospital at a near-sprint, and nearly crashed into a surly looking nurse who was stationed at the front door next to a big metal sign that read “All visitors must be screened  for COVID19.” “Hold still while I take your temperature,” she said through gritted teeth. Displaying a forced smile, she rubbed the tip of a device against my forehead. “Thanks, now don’t forget to pick up a mask.” I followed her gaze to a box of masks which was locatedRead More →

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. I had last seen my dad in March when he was staying in a care facility. Then, the covid19 epidemic hit, and the state went on lockdown. I had stayed in contact via the phone, but that wasn’t the same as being there. Yesterday, I drove down to see my mom and dad for the first time in three months. It’s been rough on both of them adjusting to dad’s needs, but he does seem to be a lot happier to be at home. Rummaging through his barn for a gas tank we needed, I was struck by how much so many of theRead More →

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As I have talked to people and researched the best strategy for marketing myself during my job search, I’ve reached the conclusion that I should try to sell myself in the same way that labels sell the products that sit on retail store shelves. For example, the information on the front of a box of laundry detergent might claim that it “rids clothes of more stains.” Taking this analogy further, if the benefits I offered companies had to be condensed down and made eye-catching on store shelves, what would the labeling on my box be? In many ways, this isn’t that far from reality. WhenRead More →

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One morning a couple of winters ago, I hit some black ice at the end of the on ramp for the expressway, spun out, and ended up inside the median between the two sides of U.S. 127. The ride into the ditch was scary, but it was even scarier trying to figure out the best way to get out. The sides of the median were sloped, I knew this because my car had gone a tad airborne on the way in. They were covered with snow, and I wasn’t sure how much traction I’d have. I also wasn’t sure how safe it would be toRead More →