Former Sportswriter

(Note: This was the final entry for my previous blog, Future Former Sportswriter. I now begin the exciting post-journalism phase of my career with a whole new blog, Hallucinogenic Toreador, named for a Salvador Dali painting that was created the year I was born. It also was the name of my column when I wrote for the USF student daily, the Oracle.)

I was laid off on Monday, 12 days after "surviving" Black Wednesday. My friend Scott Carter was laid off that day. I sat by my phone all that day, waiting for the call. Every time it rang, my heart leaped into my throat. By about 3:30, Mama Bird and I figured we were safe.

It was the second day at home for the new Little Mouse in the family. He's 100 percent healthy after a mind-numbing, eight-day stay in the NICU at University Community Hospital. Jaundice complications, breathing issues, etc. He was by far the biggest and healthiest baby in the NICU, which is packed with tiny, tiny preemies. He and big brother Bird are unbelievable. Mama Bird is good, too.

Me? I'm out of a job for the first time since 1984 and out of newspapers for the first time since 1986.

I've just gone over the entries I wrote a couple of months ago. They were, I think, right on the money. Except for this: After "surviving" Black Wednesday, they called me as I was on my way to work after a two-week absence (baby stuff) on Monday morning. I didn't even get out of my neighborhood before the cell phone rang. It was an assistant managing editor informing me that I needed to meet him and the managing editor in HR at 11 a.m. I said, "I'll be derned, I thought they were done with all that." He said something to the effect of, "No, we wanted to wait until your baby was out of the hospital." What he meant to say, of course, was that they didn't want it said of them that they laid off a long-time employee of good standing while his second child was in the NICU at University Community Hospital.

So, off I went after my swift kick in the gut. But first, a quick U-turn for home to break the news to Mama Bird. Heartbreak.

All that survivor's guilt I was feeling about Scott getting the ax? Now, it's empathy. The difference is, at least I had a plan (however far-fetched) before I thought I was in the clear. So, we reverted back to the plan in order to help absorb the shock.

That's still happening, by the way. Absorbing the shock, I mean. I'm typing on my brand-new laptop, a necessary new element to the plan; nothing like spending $1,000 at Best Buy to create a little peace of mind.

Anyway, the name of this blog obviously no longer applies. I'll figure something out about that later. Meanwhile, I need to get going on my unemployment application. Maybe if Scott and I pool our resources, we'll be able to afford tickets to a Rays game some weekend.