Sabbeardical (suh-BEER’-duh-kuhl) noun: A period of unemployment filled with adventure, learning and tonsorial experimentation. See also- Shavecation, Hirsute Pursuit
Dispatch #1
What, are you crazy? That was the reaction from several friends to my decision to walk away from a lucrative, some might say prestigious career with no plan B. My answer- Yes I am. Crazy like a weasel. The plan is to do whatever I want for the remainder of 2016, let my wife continue to work so I can stay on her insurance and hope a great new career opportunity will be waiting for me at the end. Brilliant, no? If you’re considering making a similarly reckless life decision, please follow my adventures on this blog. You might be inspired to follow my example or hang on to whatever gig you have for dear life. But first:
THE TOP FIVE REASONS I BUGGED OUT:
1) I was burned out. At a point in my career where I thought things would get easier, they’ve only become more difficult (and less fun). I thrive on deadline pressure and enjoy the immediate feedback from social media that has become a huge part of local TV news’ survival strategy, but the frantic push to pump out more news sometimes at the expense of better news sucked a lot of the joy out of the business for me.
2) I was bored. Because I don’t want to appear ungrateful by throwing shade at an industry that paid me so handsomely for so many years, I’ll save this topic for another day. Suffice to say, I stopped watching local news which is like a chef not eating their own cooking.
3) I was curious about what else I might be good at. Scrimshaw? Fighting oil fires? Banjo repair? Check fraud?
4) I was scared of dying (probably by mob lynching) before I had a chance to experience the freedom of un- or self employment. I’ve never had more than two weeks off in a row for 40 freaking years.
5) I was able to. Don’t think I’m being so courageous here. My wife and I saved up enough acorns over the years to make this break possible without having to move into the Dutch Motel on Nebraska. I will have to go back to productive work eventually, but not until I’m good and ready.
So from here on out, I hope you’ll check in on my travels, foibles, peccadillos, adventures, contretemps and shenanigans. Wait.. Huh? Oh. My wife says no peccadillos.