Paige Williams Writes.

Kids are my heroes, and not just because they happily eat dirt and find genuine amusement in their own heads (two things I gave up with puberty, alas.) Even better than their complete openness to the joy around them, children have this uncanny ability to take the present and run with it, assuming that everything will always be as good, as fun, as fulfilling as it is today.

When I started my job as Executive Editor of Outblush, a leading shopping blog for women, I was incredibly childlike in my enthusiasm and wonder with the position. Writing about shopping? Receiving free press samples? Getting paid for the above mentioned two hours of daily commitment? Uh, where do I sign?

Fast-forward 14 (mostly wonderful) months, and much like the child with last year’s Christmas presents, disillusionment had crept in. The main reason, surprisingly, was perhaps also childlike. I missed people, and insightful interaction, and getting out of my pajamas. I missed reading on the train during my commute and eating lunch with co-workers. In short, I missed the people-ness that working at home can so easily snatch away.

When Outblush was purchased by a new company last month, and new payment, new schedules and new visions were offered, I felt that it was now or never. So I took a leap–a giant one. A leap to resignation. And I’ll be honest here. The immediate feeling was one of sincere regret, even deep sadness. I had been with Outblush for over a year. I had increased its viewers almost two-fold. I had the most impressive collection of free stuff in the universe. I was comfortable, content, familiar with Outblush.

Then I did the standard omigodIquitmyjobinthemiddleofahugerecession panic. That lasted longer than the unhappiness, and, admittedly, still persists to some extent. OK, to a pretty great extent.

But upon further inflection, what I mostly feel is genuine, unbridled, yes, childlike excitement. I really can’t wait to see what comes next. I can’t wait to start a new job, whether freelance or fulltime or self-employed, to put 14 months of learning to work on a different project. I can’t wait to live life, part now.

Am I crazy? Probably. Absolutely. But I’m OK with this–and that’s the kicker.

Tags:   children · kids · lessons · life · outblush · recessionNo Comments