Independence Day

Some 365 days ago, life was just so different. It seemed like a grind for so many days, and then you look up -- BOOM, the Fourth of July fireworks are going off again.

Just a year ago, I was on the railroad. I had a perfectly fine job and was making my way through a delightful career when, little did I know it, I was being backstabbed by an insecure boss who was pretending to be my friend but was scared that I was going to make him obsolete.

The situation collected more and more misery over the ensuing few months as I was working harder and continuing to get excellent results while my demise was being plotted out in back rooms and dark dungeons by an evil troll.

When that job unceremoniously ended amid more broken promises and insincerities on September 13, it thrust me on a downward spiral laced with bitterness and venom I thought myself incapable of feeling.

It took a while to come to terms with all of it -- the ego blow, the unnecessary feelings of failure, self-doubt, self-loathing and lack of confidence. Then there was the kick in the eye of not finding a new job and going on the government dole.

Here's how the scenario kicked out.

Stage-setter: I narrowed in on two jobs for which I had interviewed and from whom I was expecting to get offers. I decided to push them along in an effort to get them to yield their offers at roughly the same time.

I found out at the beginning of the week that the offer for the job I really liked and wanted was not coming; they were putting the position on hold. And I could not get any information from the completely disorganized people at the other place, which was my second choice.

Then I realized I had exhausted the last of my unemployment benefits, so now the money was going to be air-tight, thus increasing the strain on everything in life.

Then I find out my wife is pregnant.

With triplets.

I am not making this up. That stuff all happened within a span of four days.

I did not know whether to jump for joy of jump off a bridge. I went for the joy jump, though, because I could not be more excited. Except that if there ever was a time to not have triplets, this would be the one. Which, of course, makes it the perfect time. Because if there is ever a time to have triplets, now is the best time.

Are my feelings clear?

Well, I kept plugging along and finally got myself back into a situation in which I am doing well work-wise and, in fact, have much more flexibility for freelance projects. In addition, the long-term prospects of the new job (and my sanity and happiness) are a lot better than they were with the old one.

Turn a negative into a positive. It's always darkest before dawn. Just stay within yourself. All of the clichés are there to describe the time since last July 4.

Here's another: The best is yet to come.