When my journalistic career ended in mid-November, I could have been sad.<\/p>\n
I loved working in a newsroom, which is probably like no other professional environment. The people are brilliant, cynical, witty and dedicated, with a marked tendency toward wickedly funny (and usually irreverent) black humor.<\/p>\n
In a newsroom, we (yes, it\u2019s still a \u201cwe\u201d thing) read and interview and uncover facts for a living. We are paid to learn. Adrenaline amps the heart rate when news strikes (or deadline approaches).<\/p>\n
While I miss the newsroom and its people, I am not sad at the beginning of this second phase of life.<\/p>\n
I am elated, optimistic and energized. The future, to quote Tom Petty, is wide open.<\/p>\n
I suddenly have the chance to do things I\u2019ve always wanted to do.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s rather shocking the gaps I have in my life. I worked across the street from the Ohio Statehouse for 26 years, but I never took a tour of the building. Too busy.<\/p>\n
I have never shot a gun. I have never made deviled eggs. I have never jumped from an airplane. (OK, that last one isn\u2019t so unusual, but you get my point.)<\/p>\n
Post-job, I am reclaiming my life, filling my days with the myriad activities I\u2019ve always wanted to pursue.<\/p>\n
That includes the mundane. I\u2019d like to get more exercise, eat right and keep my house in order.<\/p>\n
In this space, I plan to chronicle my journey to my new life, recounting my experiences, my discoveries and my travels.<\/p>\n
Welcome to the Cindy Files.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When my journalistic career ended in mid-November, I could have been sad. I loved working in a newsroom, which is probably like no other professional environment. The people are brilliant, cynical, witty and dedicated, with a marked tendency toward wickedly funny (and usually irreverent) black humor. In a newsroom, we (yes, it\u2019s still a \u201cwe\u201d … <\/p>\n