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Welcome to Thinking Out Loud, a blog that contains postings from The Tampa Tribune’s Editorial Board and from various Tribune Community Columnists. Unlike the unsigned editorials that represent the newspaper’s institutional voice, the blog postings offer personal perspectives on the issues, personalities and events of Tampa Bay. We invite you to participate by posting your comments. We’ll do our best to respond.

Contributors:

Joe Guidry

Joe Guidry is the deputy editorial page editor of The Tampa Tribune. He is a Tampa native and a graduate of the University of South Florida. He is married and has an adult son.

Jeff Stidham

Jeff Stidham grew up and lives in Bartow. He has been with the Tribune for nearly 22 years, the last 10 on the editorial board.

William Yelverton

William Yelverton is a Tribune editorial writer who has worked for the paper nearly 22 years. He lives in the Dade City area.

Jim Beamguard

Jim Beamguard is a Tribune editorial writer. He is a native of North Carolina and a graduate of Davidson College. He and his family live in Brandon.

Jackie Papandrew:

Jackie Papandrew is a freelance writer and editor. Her syndicated humor column appears in publications in the United States, Canada and India. She lives in Largo with her husband and children. Visit her website at www.jackiepapandrew.com.

Camille Beredjick

Camille Beredjick is a senior at Chamberlain High School, an avid musician and a scribbler with a quirky sense of humor. In the fall, she will be attending Northwestern University to study journalism, political science and music, and she plans to pursue a career in journalism.

Jim Harnish

Jim Harnish is in his 17th year as Senior Pastor at Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa. He and his wife, Marsha, have two daughters and two grandchildren. He is a graduate of Asbury Theological Seminary and received the honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Bethune-Cookman University. He is the author of six books and numerous articles and studies. He enjoys playing with his grandchildren and cheering for the Florida Gators.

Angela Hunt

Angela Hunt is a novelist living in Pinellas County with her husband and two 220-pound mastiffs.

Sheryl Young

Sheryl Young was a Tampa Tribune Community Columnist in 2005-2006. A freelance writer since 1997, including the Tampa Bay Business Journal, Tampa Style Magazines, St. Pete Times and nationally in Better Nutrition, Today’s Christian Woman and more. She’s received a First Place Amy Foundation national "Roaring Lambs" Writing Award, and has lived in Tampa Bay with her family for over 20 years.

Christie Gold

Christie Gold teaches English and journalism at Freedom High School in Tampa where she advises Revolution, the school newspaper. She has been both the Hillsborough County Teacher of the Year and Florida Journalism Teacher of the Year. She lives on a small farm in Wesley Chapel where she trains as a competitive equestrian.

Natalie D. Preston

Natalie D. Preston is a karaoke singing, only-child pouting, Seminole Tomahawk waving, newlywed bride blushing, 50-state traveling, girlie girl who loves to shop, read, run and jump up and down on her soapbox.

Fernando Figueroa

Fernando Figueroa is a researcher, educator and lives in Riverview.

Gary Beemer

Interests include humor, politics, economics, community and world affairs, finance, people, religion, music, sports, current events, the arts and education.

Nicole Yunger Halpern

Nicole Yunger Halpern is an undergraduate at Dartmouth College, where she studies everything she can get her nerdy little hands on. Desired major: life. No, not necessarily biology. Life.

Kris DiGiovanni

Kris DiGiovanni is a Tribune Community Columnist, Huffington Post contributor, Daily Kos diarist, and teacher, who recently moved from NW Hillsborough to another planet - a small beach community in Pinellas County. She also blogs at www.sandscript.wordpress.com

H. David Braswell Jr.

H. David Braswell Jr. is an Information Systems Professional. He is a native New Yorker and a lifelong NY Giants fan. He attended college in California (Cal State Northridge) and moved to Tampa in 1998.

Sean Marcus

Sean Marcus teaches creative writing, journalism and reading at Chamberlain High School. He has one son and is expecting a daughter in early March. He can be reached at wuizabug@gmail.com

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Happy Days Are Here Again - Sorta

Posted Aug 21, 2010 by Kris DiGiovanni

Updated Aug 21, 2010 at 10:54 AM

I have a job.

After 18 months of looking high and low, depleting my 401k to pay bills, and not sleeping, I have a job. And it’s a good job. Ok, the hours are a little strange, but it’s interesting, challenging, well matched to my skill set, comes with health benefits, and pays well. I will never, ever complain about any part of it.

Mentally, it’s been an adjustment. After seeing myself as a “loser” for so long, is it ok to feel like a winner again? Is it ok to brag about it? Is it ok to relax a bit?

I still hear the unemployment news and shudder. “I was one of you,” I think. “Hang in there. If I did it, so can you.” I send a mental message to the throngs of people out there who’ve all but lost hope.

When I was part of the corporate world and we were downsizing, I was formally trained to deliver the bad news to employees. One lie they told me was that it was “just as hard” on those who keep their jobs, because they suffer so much “survivor guilt.” Uh… no. I never saw anyone doing anything remotely close to “suffering.” Mostly, there was relief, (dodged that bullet), a false feeling of superiority (they kept me and not you), and anger (now I get to do your job and mine for the same pay.)”

One day, as I knew they would, the company decided I was disposable, and I got “the” phone call. Intellectually, I understood getting laid off. It was purely a financial exercise to my corporation But to me, it was very personal. I was one of their best. They were still giving me awards, stock options, bonuses, and other “perks” designed to keep me loyal - but, the bottom line was that I made a LOT of money. Whack!

I understood the decision, but emotionally, I was devastated. I felt hurt and betrayed. As time passed, and I could not find work – even at a small fraction of what I once made, or at the most menial of jobs - I began to feel worse and worse. I was not skilled enough, not smart enough, not young enough, not “cool” enough to deserve a job. But I hung in there. I made finding a job my new job.

Now, I have someplace to be and something to do. It’s immensely satisfying to the ego. I’m starting to feel much better about myself. But, I worry about the people still out there. I know what it’s like, and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

Hang in there. If I can do it, so can you.

The author can be contacted at krisdigiovanni [at] gmail [dot] com or on FaceBook