We’re getting all settled in our new apartment in Queens. Overall, the move went really smoothly and I love being here (especially since the subway is right on our block). Just as I began to catch my breath, I received an email yesterday saying that I (along with all of the other ParentZone guides) were being let go from our positions at the end of the week. Bummer. (Disney purchased ParentZone back in April, so this wasn’t a complete surprise.)
Now, I’m back to the drawing board job-wise. I’m not especially stressed because my husband and I have always considered my paid jobs as financial “gravy”. I like gravy though – I am from the South. It was nice having a consistent (good!) paycheck with my name on it coming in for the last three years. Being able to work from home around my kids’ schedules and getting paid to “report” on it has been a special gift.
On the other hand, Disney actually did me a favor. It’s so weird. For some reason yesterday before I read the email, I was making plans for post-ParentZone work. I was getting a bit bored with my ParentZone job duties. It had become repetitive “work” – more about the quantity rather than my “voice” as a mom – over the last few months. It was not anyone’s fault – proposed changes simply got stuck in the “pipeline” with the change in ownership. Oh, well.
It is a positive thing that I will be able to focus on other career opportunities. I have been doing some consulting on the “mom market” lately and I’m considering starting my own site covering parenting in Queens. (Most NYC parenting focused media focus on Manhattan and Brooklyn, but there are tons of moms in Queens.) Overall, I’ve been thinking that it’s time to merge my research/business analysis/sales development corporate background with the knowledge I have gained by being in the “mom space” – online and off – for the last five years.
It’s like that saying, “When God closes a door, He opens a window.” It will be interesting to see what’s outside this particular window.
(On a totally irrelevant note, below is a photo that I took while walking along Central Park and 59th Street. I love it. When I look at it, I just feel peaceful. I think that I’m going to get it blown up and placed somewhere in my home.)
