Mr. Swellesley gets back to work, Mrs. Swellesley rejoices

I divulged to you in May that I had my publishing job of 30 years taken away as part of a big layoff and was on the prowl for a new gig (as you may or may not know, Swellesley’s something I’ve done on the side all of these years).

Being laid off heading into summer had its benefits, and I tried to take advantage of everything from day games at Fenway to concerts in Boston to mid-week and traffic-free Cape jaunts, all the while fielding dozens of online job postings. I failed to learn to play guitar and juggle pins, as I had threatened to do, but I did get to fly a drone for the first time, caught my first bass and got surrounded by whales while out on my friend’s boat off of P-town.

Dozens of Swellesley readers have reached out to offer their help, their ears and expertise over the past few months and I’m really grateful for it all. The best part of my jobless period was actually meeting so many people in town I’d only known up until then by email or phone.

People shared their stories of losing their jobs and bouncing back, of working for themselves after being laid off, and of new opportunities realized. Some even went above and beyond by trying to explain this country’s insane healthcare system to me. I got to know the local business meeting hangouts, like Caffe Nero and Maugus, better than ever. I also went for walks and talks along the Brook Path with helpful neighbors, and got invited for a backyard chat around a fancy fire pit.

In the end, I wound up taking a super interesting job with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to work on the new Mass.gov website, an ambitious and worthwhile project that should impact you all. I’ve actually enjoyed becoming part of the Wellesley commuter rail community, too, though check back with me on that in February.