Today's fortune: Your talents will prove to be especially useful this week.
After two hectic days at work and a night in a hotel room because of Snowpocalypse 2011, I have finally made it home.
The night in the hotel room was pleasant enough, and I got to take one of those famous Hotel Room Showers this morning. You know, the kind where the water's hard as rocks, and the tiny square of soap doesn't lather, and there's a very fine line between freezing and scalding water, and even if you do achieve the perfect temperature there's still that one needle of ice-cold drizzle falling from the showerhead. But I digress.
I've already received fortunes similar to this one, albeit not exact duplicates. On January 23 I was told that my genuine talent would find its way to success, and before that, on Jan. 7, I was told that my qualities overshadow my weaknesses, and before that I found out versatility was one of my outstanding traits.
I'm not saying I don't like hearing how great I am. But it if it's beginning to sound repetitive for my billions of readers (up from just millions last month), that's why.
Fortunately, I have a fresh angle.
One of the talents about which I'm particularly proud (and one I haven't written much about) is my talent for editing. In addition to being a reporter and writer, I have also worked extensively as a newspaper editor. As an editor at a series of small publications, I had not only a chance to edit but also a chance to supervise, write and design. The combination of all these factors made, for me, an ideal profession.
But as a career, I've put journalism in the rearview mirror. I'm a believer in the "never say never" theory, but I have difficulty picturing myself working as a journalist in the future. Although I plan to continue writing, and I hope one day to be able to make a career of it, I don't think I'll ever again have the opportunity or the desire to edit for a living.
However, that doesn't mean I don't miss it.
An interesting opportunity came along this week. As I wrote about yesterday, I spoke with one of my superiors about how to take chances in the workplace. He gave me some terrific ideas. And at the end of the conversation, he said, "Your background is in editing, right?"
I confirmed, and he said there may be an opportunity to use those skills at Acme Co. The department I work in produces an occasional newsletter. He referred me to the supervisor who ran the newsletter, a guy named Marty.
Today, after receiving my fortune, I decided the timing couldn't be better. Marty was extremely receptive to the idea, and even said the newsletter was in need of a makeover of sorts, and said he'd be glad to have the help. We're going to sit down together soon and hash out a strategy.
My talent for editing has already proven useful this week. It will be a lot of fun to dabble in my old profession again. And, at the same time, anything I can do at work to make myself more visible is good.
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