It's A Bittersweet Symphony

I've probably used that title before. If so, I apologize. It's just that so many things in life are bittersweet.

Yesterday was my last day at work. As those who follow this blog may know, I never had any intention of staying on at the bank. I just couldn't get anything to work out and I figured that after a dryspell summer I would accept the first decent job I was offered and continue looking in my free time.

And the first weekend I was on the job, I got a call from Entertainment fuckin' Weekly. My dream job. Or my dream internship. It was paid, and it was the in for all that I wanted for the future. And I messed up the sample blog entry I was supposed to write for them. I was just so excited. When I think back on it (I refuse to look back on it), I'm embarrassed at the way I rambled on. Point is, I didn't get the gig. I didn't get any of the jobs I applied for in the 11 months I worked at National City.

At first, I fought it a lot. I wanted to show people that my degree was worth something. I was tired of people mocking journalism, asking me how possibly, I could have a Bachelor of Science in a major that seems so illogical.

After a while, I gave in. It was a steady paycheck. Health insurance. New glasses! A car. A credit card. All the things I needed. And I liked my bosses, save for our Friday morning meetings, I enjoyed chatting with them. They thought I was smart, meant to advance in the company... if I stuck around. I cultivated relationships with my coworkers. I grew to think of us a somewhat dysfunctional work family. In the months that followed the break-up of our family, I grew very close to my work sisters. I don't have much of a life in Rockford. I have my group of friends, and I love them but, I hope to keep in touch with my work buddies, so even though I'm not associated with work, we can still be buddies.

Now, I definitely won't miss our customers. Well, a handful maybe, some sweet old ladies and some interesting folks. But I will say one thing, we had a lot of characters. They make for great stories and one day, I hope to compile these tales into my tell-all novel, Behind the Teller Line.

I always imagined that leaving Southgate would be one of the happiest days of my year. And it's true that I was happy. Moving on to bigger and better things. (I hope!) But still, things are a bit uncertain. I feel like I did when I graduated. One chapter closed. Another one not yet written. And that's both exciting and scary at the same time. I haven't yet received my itinerary for training next week. Though I have my training cofirmation, it's strange not to know what exactly I'll be doing.

One thing is certain, it'll be strange not to make the drive down 11th Street tomorrow. I'm so used to being at work that when my home phone rings, I always have to steady myself so I don't accidentally knock out, "National City Southgate, this is Divya, how can I help you?"