Recap--Goodbye Cleveland Part 1

I've been thinking that I should kind of give a recap by reprinting my "goodbye" columns from the American. So here is Part 1 of the end . . .

I’m not really good at good-byes . . . maybe because I don’t deal well with confrontations and saying good-bye is definitely a confrontation, for me, even if leaving on good terms. I’m not really good at handling sad situations in general. I usually try to lighten the mood with a joke or laugh (which has gotten me some strange looks and disapproving scowls at times). For these reasons and because I’m the world’s worst procrastinator, I have neglected to say a proper good-bye to American readers. As Rusty so nicely said in his Standing Tall column, I have relocated to Tulsa and thus am no longer working at the American. Although only having moved a couple months ago, I already miss Cleveland. I miss my friends, family and those who I got to know through working at the newspaper.
I would like to thank all of those who assisted me in my work by letting me barrage them with seemingly endless questions, by repeating what they’d already told me because I can’t write as fast as someone in my profession should be able to write or by explaining to me (sometimes several times) the innerworkings of their project, business or situation. Your patience was greatly appreciated. Thank you for opening your home or business to me as that I could grasp the full scope of your story and share a part of your life with readers.
I especially miss the faculty and administration of Cleveland Schools who allowed me to trample through their buildings and classrooms, snapping photos of unsuspecting teachers and students, keeping homecoming royalty and valedictorians out of class so that I could get ‘just the right poise’ for a special feature. Thank you for letting me live vicariously as a Cleveland student for a few more years after my commencement, attending school ‘fair days,’ special guest speakers, who assumed I was from the Tiger’s Tale, and other school functions and sporting events where I probably blocked the view of several parents taking photos.
And, of course, I want to thank the Cleveland Police and Fire Department and the Sheriff’s Department, as well as all area city and emergency personnel, who not only allowed me to tag along with them as stories unfolded, but saved my life in the car accident that occurred a year ago, Sept. 22.
You may be wondering, why did she leave if she loved her job so much and already misses the town? Well, while recovering from the car accident, I came to appreciate not only the fundamentals of mobility and the ability to dress yourself, but that one day, one minute can change your entire life and leave you with only ‘what ifs’ and ‘if onlys’.
Because I was more or less “down” for months, I felt that I lost an entire year of my life. Friday it will have been a year since my car wreck. Wow, a year . . . at times in the past year, I didn’t think I would be myself again. I thought I was making no progress--that I’d hit a plateau. And at times, it seems like just a bad dream, especially since I still don’t really remember the actual wreck. From the beginning, my surgeon had said it would take a year return to normal life, and he was surprisingly accurate. Of course, physically I’m still not totally normal, but normal and pain have become relative terms.
Also, when you loose practically every freedom you have physically, you tend to go to the extreme if and when you regain it. Now, I’m not saying I’m going to go skydiving . . . I have learned how fragile life can be. But when the option or the freedom is no longer there, you think of all the things you would like to do and wonder if you could still have the chance to do them . . . to take chances in life.
I’d always lived in Cleveland, felt comfortable there, but sometimes comfort doesn’t allow you to truly grow, or you wonder “what if?” Although I do not know where I’ll end up, I knew I would have to get out of my “comfort zone” first and challenge myself for those ‘what ifs’ to happen.
I’d like to relate my latest endeavors and adventures, but I’m afraid Rusty will give me the “you expect me to fit all that copy in here” look, so I’ll try to report back next week . . . stay tuned.